Winter Rye Cover Crop Effect on Corn Seedling Pathogens.

Cover crops have been grown successfully in Iowa, but sometimes a cereal rye cover crop preceding corn can reduce corn yields. Our research examines the effect of a rye cover crop on infections of the succeeding corn crop by soil fungal pathogens. Plant measurements included: growth stage, height, radicle length, nodal root number, dry weight, fraction of diseased radicles, and fraction of diseased mesocotyls. In controlled growth chamber experiments, corn plants following a rye cover crop revealed significantly diminished performance when compared to corn plants following no rye cover crop.