Microbial allies may help corn

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service scientists are leaving no stone -- or rather, leaf -- unturned in their search for new ways to counter the fungus that causes tar spot, a yield-robbing disease of field corn in the midwestern United States.First reported in Illinois and Indiana in 2015, tar spot has now expanded to include other nearby states, as well as Florida and Canada. The disease manifests as raised black spots that mottle the leaves, husks and stalks of su