Iowa State University plant pathologists are part of a new $300,000 research project to study and mitigate tar spot on corn. The project is funded by a $150,000 Rapid Outcomes for Agricultural Research (ROAR) grant from the Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research, which was matched by the National Corn Growers Association, Corteva Agriscience, Wyffels Hybrids, Illinois Corn Growers Association and Purdue University.

First detected in the United States in 2015, tar spot has quickly spread through the Corn Belt. It was observed in eastern Iowa for the first time in 2016, and last year it was detected in 75 counties stretching border to border across the state. It has been found in 44 Iowa counties this year, according to ...