Photo and text used courtesy Clemson University
Cooperative Extension Service.

Plants generally show areas of rot at the point where the stalk breaks. These organisms may be directly or indirectly the cause of the lodging, but they may become established in the beginning from insect damage or some other cause. Generally, anything which takes away from the food-manufacturing potential of the plant can result in weak stalks and greater lodging. High humidity for extended periods encourages rots from fungi and bacteria.