Striping in corn may indicate a nutrient deficiency
Jun 18, 2010
Question: For the past few years I’ve seen some reddish brown striping or streaks in the leaves of my corn about the time it gets 12-inches tall. What is that, and should I be concerned?
Answer: Since you’re seeing this occur repeatedly, chances are that the striping is indicating some type of nutrient deficiency in your crop. It may be a sulfur, magnesium or potassium deficiency, or some combination of the three. Such deficiencies can be significantly yield limiting, and they do need to be addressed. We recommend that you send some samples of the affected corn plants to your agronomist or university extension lab for testing. You probably won’t be able to address this problem this season, but taking care of any fertility issues could make a significant difference in your corn yields next year.
