A pathogenic fungus against three beneficial fungi: Researchers study how to biologically combat a corn disease that affects

Corn—a crop of great importance for the agricultural economy in general, and for livestock activity in particular—faces various threats during its growth cycle, some of which generate special concern among producers. Such is the case of the fungus Stenocarpella maydis, which was detected during the 2023/24 season in crops in Corrientes and Chaco, and which is capable of attacking not only the leaves, stems, and cobs of corn, but also causing a neurotoxic disease in animals that consume it. This is known as "diplodiosis," which affects the nervous system. In the face of this, a team of researchers from the National University of the Northeast began to explore solutions based on the biological control of this disease, and presented interesting advances at the VI Congress of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, whose motto was "From the environment to the application: microorganisms for sustainable development." The research, titled "In vitro antagonism of three isolates of ...