Diplodia ear rot

This ear rot appears as a white, cottony fungal growth between kernels, almost always progressing from the ear shank upward and from the cob outward. Occasionally, infections progress downward from the tip of the cob. Severely affected ears can be obvious from a distance, as the husks turn brown and dry down well before the rest of the plant, although producers may not discover the disease until combining. In most cases, no symptoms appear on the leaves of infected plants.