The first symptoms of anthracnose leaf blight are water-soaked, oval lesions with tan centers and reddish-brown borders. Symptoms begin on lower corn leaves early in the growing season and then develop on the upper leaves late in the season. Lesions can enlarge up to 5 inches to 6 inches long and may join and blight the entire leaf, causing it to die late in the growing season. Dark, raised spots (fruiting bodies) and spines appear on dead tissue. Resistant corn lines may be infected but will only have small, necrotic, or chlorotic lesions.