Herbicide safener isoxadifen-ethyl associated with increased Goss's wilt severity in corn (Zea mays).

Background: Goss's bacterial wilt and leaf blight (Goss's wilt), caused by the bacterium Clavibacter nebraskensis, is a corn disease that has been a top ten yield-reducing disease in North America in the past 15 years. Isoxadifen-ethyl is an herbicide safener that effectively increases cytochrome P450 activity in corn which enhances a plant's metabolism of herbicide molecules. Recent research found a potential link between isoxadifen-ethyl and increased Goss's wilt severity.