Although there is usually little structural damage caused to the ears,[1][2] the following symptoms are obvious during inspection: Plants that have poor husk coverage and weak seed coats allow for more frequent infection.
Other factors that contribute to more infections are air currents that transport spores and an increase in vectors, including humans.
[3] Environmental conditions that favor the infection and growth of Cladosporium herbarum are typical for most fungi, such as high moisture, correct temperature, low air flow, and neutral pH.
[2][4] Another less effective way to manage what percentage of the crop is infected is by planting resistant varieties and discarding the most susceptible ones.
More husk coverage and stronger seed coats also make the host harder to infect in the first place.
[4] Crop rotation would likely be an effective cultural control method of eliminating the pathogen, but it would require all corn growers in a county to comply in order for there to be any significant impact on inoculum levels.