Climate change affects the development of fungal diseases in corn.

Climate change is transforming the modern approach to protecting corn. More frequent droughts and heatwaves weaken plants, promoting the development of fungal diseases and the risk of mycotoxin contamination, writes Farmer.pl. It is noted that in recent years, the question of whether a drought will occur has ceased to be the main issue in corn production. Much more important has become the question of whether the plant can withstand cumulative heat stress, lack of water during key periods of development, and disease pressure. Climate data clearly show that the number of days with temperature anomalies is rapidly increasing, and this directly affects crop health. The combination of high temperatures, lack of rainfall, intense ultraviolet radiation, and increasingly frequent heatwaves causes corn to enter a state of physiological weakness more quickly. The plant loses its ability to defend itself effectively, and pathogens take this moment to infect. The most significant ...