How to manage corn nematodes So what's wrong with this field?
Compaction? Herbicide damage? Early-season cutworms? Could be
all three. In this case, though, the culprits were nematodes
that feed on corn. You may think corn nematodes are a new pest,
but they aren't. Most are native to the U.S., and they've long
resided in soils before European settlers arrived. These
roundworms, of which there are dozens of different species, are
survivors. “The last things to die off this planet will be
cockroaches and roundworms,” says Glen Dappen, a retired
biologist and nematode specialist for Nebraska Wesleyan
University. Nematodes infest about anything. Many are benign. In
corn, though, some species inflict heavy yield damage. “In corn,
nematode damage is frequently misdiagnosed,” says Dappen.
Besides stunted plants like the ones pictured above, afflicted
plants often show small ears and kernels later in the season.
“The ears will not fill out,” he says. “It's just like the corn
plant ran out of gas.” Why the rise? The s