Insignum, Purdue Team Up on Corn Disease Tools

Researchers are developing early-detection methods for tar spot, a fungal disease that has caused major corn yield losses.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Botany

Rows of healthy green corn plants grow in a bright greenhouse beside a hand-held scanning device on a metal bench. — Researchers at Purdue University and Insignum AgTech are developing early-detection tools for tar spot, a fungal disease that has caused corn yield losses of up to 50% in severe epidemics. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Insignum AgTech has begun a collaboration with Purdue University researchers to develop tools for detecting tar spot disease in corn. The work is supported by grants from the Indiana Corn Marketing Council and an Innovation Voucher from the state of Indiana.

Why it matters

Tar spot is caused by the Phyllachora maydis fungus and has caused yield losses of up to 50% in severe epidemics. Earlier detection could help farmers respond before the disease reduces a plant's ability to absorb sunlight.

Insignum's engineered gene causes leaves to form purple spots at infection sites about a week before symptoms appear, and severe tar spot epidemics can cut yields by up to 50%. The source does not report whether the greenhouse imaging tests have yet confirmed that color changes appear faster than current methods.

The players

Purdue University

A public research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, whose researchers are working with Insignum on corn disease detection.

Insignum AgTech

An agricultural technology company developing a corn gene that reveals early infections before visible symptoms appear.

Indiana Corn Marketing Council

A state-based organization that funds corn research and marketing initiatives and is supporting this collaboration with grants.

The details

Insignum uses DNA present in corn plants to develop a gene that reveals infections early. C.D. Cruz's team is inoculating Insignum corn with tar spot to test how plants reveal the disease, while Jian Jin's team will use the patented LeafSpec hand-held hyperspectral scanner to capture images of greenhouse plants.

2015: Tar spot is first detected in the United States.
2018 and 2021: Early tar spot infections cause substantial yield losses.
2023: Tar spot becomes the most damaging corn pathogen in the country.
2024: Insignum's field trials are used to develop drone imagery algorithms.
End of 2024: The collaboration is expected to conclude.

Reference Point

Tar spot became the most damaging pathogen to U.S. corn by 2023, and this collaboration responds to that documented rise by pursuing detection methods that flag infection before symptoms appear. It positions early-warning research as a direct answer to a disease that has moved from its first U.S. detection in 2015 to a leading threat.

Corn growers in Indiana and across the Corn Belt should monitor fields for early signs of tar spot as the collaboration advances toward its expected end in 2024. Early detection, when available, could help guide timing of management decisions before yield-reducing infections spread.

The takeaway

Early detection of crop disease can protect yield by catching infections before visible damage occurs. Growers who track tar spot trends and local disease reports can plan scouting and management more effectively as new tools emerge.