What is on my corn

The other night when I was out walking through my weed patch....err...garden. I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. It was dark and at the top of my one of my corn plants. I thought it was a bird sitting there. But as I walked over to it I saw this that you see in the attached pictures. What is it? Should cut it off and throw it away? So far it is only on the one. Do I need to spray the corn with something to prevent more of these? Should I get rid of this whole plant? all of it?

I believe you have Corn Smut.

http://www.lgseeds.com/LG_Tech2/cornsmut.asp

Common Corn Smut, caused by the fungus Ustilago zeae or Ustilago maydis, is a well-known disease that usually does not cause economic damage. Smut can infect any part of the plant, especially actively growing meristematic tissue. Infections of the stalk, ear, or tassels result in smut galls, which are distorted growths that have a shiny, silvery-white surface. These galls eventually rupture to release millions of powdery black teliospores. Stalk infections often cause stunting or death of the top of the plant, frequently followed by lodging. Leaf infections cause wart-like growths that are yellow and then turn brown. These infections can sometimes be confused with other leaf diseases. The leaf infections do not usually produce spores. When young plants are infected, the disease can destroy the growing point, killing the plant. The base of these plants may be swollen and the leaves in the whorl transformed into a smut gall. The spores released by the smut galls usually do not infect plants during the same season, but fall into the soil where they can survive many years. If the spores fall onto susceptible plants parts, such as silks, infection may occur in the same season. Silk infection results in ear infection.

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Just when you think you know a guy!
Bone

I'm wondering if the corn had internet access to corn smut? Or did Jim surf corn smut while hiding in the corn patch? Monica better cut off Jims internet access.

Maybe the corn has been using my wireless router. I thought my connection seemed a bit slow lately.

I did a little bit of research and so far everything I've read says basically no cure. What you can do is cut it and burn it. Well I cut it, but I didn't burn it. I put it in a Wal-mart bag and threw it in the trash with the rat the dogs brought us back from somewhere. One of the things said not to use manure in the garden. I had put several loads of cow manure on the garden this year. I bet that is where it came from. Trying to help the garden and look what I get. I won't put any on it next year. I will also be sure to remove all residual growth this fall.

I put it in a Wal-mart bag and threw it in the trash with the rat the dogs brought us back from somewhere.

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Corn smut and rat. Sounds like dinner somewhere is the third world.
Bonehead

I guess I don't need to worry about what was on my corn. I guess we aren't meant to grow corn. I've tried for 7 years. One year we got a few ears, last year we had a great turn out, the rest nothing. Thought we had turned the corner. Now this year the smut and now the wind - for the second time. Monica keeps telling me it is a good thing I'm not a farmer or otherwise we would starve. I guess someone doesn't want us to have corn.

I had an ear infection once. Never more than once in the same season though. Mine generally came from swimming in smutty creeks, ponds and rivers.....