corn plant dying after suckers have appeared

[susanaproenca]

Hello,

We're growing corn -- seeds were Burpee Sun & Star Bicolor Hibrid Supersweet SH2, planted May 18th -- and the plants were doing very well.

A couple of weeks ago, we noticed some suckers growing, I did some brief research and we decided not to do anything about it. But, this week, one of our plants (it's the biggest one, and the only one that has 2 big suckers) started to dry and die from the top leaves. Now the leaves are very dry and look completely dead, and the bottom of the stalk is turning yellow/brown. The suckers, however, look very happy and healthy!

The soil pH is good and we've been taking good care of our corn in relation to water / fertilizer. I caught a few bean leaf beetles on the plants a few weeks ago, but them we used neem oil and I haven't seem them around anymore.

Also, we're in zone 5b.

Any ideas of what's causing the plant to die and how to prevent it from happening to the other ones will be very appreciated!

Thanks,

[rootsy]

Flat in color and curled up like a roll of paper? Or wilted?

I'd say if the first it is lack of moisture... if the later I'd say corn borer...

[susanaproenca]

So I just called my boyfriend to ask him to take some pictures and email them to me so I could post them here... and he cut the main stalk down without telling me anything

Anyway, thanks for your reply! I'll see what happens to the other corn plants.

[rootsy]

https://www.ent.iastate.edu/pest/cornborer/insect/damage

[susanaproenca]

Rootsy, thanks for the info!

I'll check the stalk later to see if I can find any sing of damage caused by bugs (that, of course, if my boyfriend didn't toss the poor plant away.)