Tar spot of corn has been a major foliar disease in several Latin American countries since 1904. In 2015, tar spot was first documented in the United States and has led to significant yield losses of approximately 4.5 million t. Tar spot is caused by an obligate pathogen, Phyllachora maydis, and thus requires a living host to grow and reproduce. Due to its obligate nature, biological and epidemiological studies are limited and impact of disease in corn production has been understudied. Here we present the current literature and gaps in knowledge of tar spot of corn in the Americas, its etiology, distribution, impact and known management strategies as a resource for understanding the pathosystem. This will in tern guide current and future research and aid in the development of effective management strategies for this disease.

Tar spot is a foliar disease of corn threatening production across the Americas. The disease was first documented in Mexico in 1904 and is now present in 15 additional countries throughout Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. Researchers and growers in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean consider tar spot to be a disease complex caused by multiple fungal pathogens. When environmental conditions are conducive for infection, these regions have experienced yield losses can reach up to 100%. In 2015, tar spot was detected in the U.S. for the first time in Illinois and Indiana. Since that time tar spot has spread across the U.S. corn-growing region, and the disease has been found in Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. In 2020, tar spot was also found in southwest Ontario, Canada. Losses in the U.S. due to tar spot totaled an estimated 241 million bushels from 2018 to 2020. With the potential to continue to spread across the U.S. corn-growing states, much greater losses could result when environmental conditions are conducive.

Tar spot of corn caused by Phyllachora maydis has recently led to significant yield losses in the eastern corn belt of the Midwestern United States. Foliar fungicides containing quinone outside inhibitors(QoI), demethylation inhibitors(DMI), and succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors(SDHI) are commonly used to manage foliar diseases in corn. To mitigate the losses from tar spot thirteen foliar fungicides containing single or multiple modes of action (MOA/FRAC groups) were applied at their recommended rates in a single application at the standard tassel/silk growth stage timing to evaluate their efficacy against tar spot in a total of eight field trials in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin during 2019 and 2020. The single MOA fungicides included either a QoI or DMI. The dual MOA fungicides included a DMI with either a QoI or SDHI, and fungicides containing three MOAs included a QoI, DMI, and SDHI. Tar spot severity estimated as the percentage of leaf area covered by P. maydis stroma of the non-treated control at dent growth stage ranged from 1.6 to 23.3% on the ear leaf. Averaged across eight field trials all foliar fungicide treatments reduced tar spot severity, but only prothioconazole+trifloxystrobin, mefentrifluconazole+pyraclostrobin+fluxapyroxad, and mefentrifluconazole+pyraclostrobin significantly increased yield over the non-treated control. When comparing fungicide treatments by the number of MOAs foliar fungicide products that had two or three MOAs decreased tar spot severity over not treating and products with one MOA. The fungicide group that contained all three MOAs significantly increased yield over not treating with a fungicide or using a single MOA.

A 2021 epidemic of tar spot of corn caused by Phyllachora maydis led to significant yield losses in the midwestern United States and Ontario, Canada. Uniform fungicides trials consisting of nine foliar fungicides applied at the tassel (VT) or silk (R1) growth stage were evaluated for tar spot management in five field trials in the midwestern U.S. and Ontario, Canada in 2021. All nine foliar fungicide treatments significantly reduced tar spot severity, but only Delaro Complete (prothioconazole + fluopyram+ trifloxystrobin), Revytek (mefentrifluconazole + pyraclostrobin + fluxapyroxad), and Veltyma (mefentrifluconazole + pyraclostrobin) protected yield compared to the non-treated control.