Eco-friendly management of northern Corsn leaf blight of maize (Zea mays L.)

Abstract

Maize is known as ‘Queen of cereals’ and used for both as food and fodder purposes. In India its production and productivity in 2017-18 were 25,000MT and 2.63MT/Ha respectively. In enlist of some major diseases, Northern Corn Leaf Blight disease is more prevalent in India and high wide host range and yield losses upto 25-90% caused by Exserohilum turcicum Pass. As the diseases are incurable but can be prevented by seed treatments with chemicals. As the uses of chemicals are hazardous these days, therefore an experiment entitled “Eco-friendly management of Northern Corn Leaf Blight of maize (Zea mays L.)” was carried out with some essential oils of botanicals and bio-agent. In field condition treatments as seed treatments were : Neem oil, Eucalyptus oil, Clove oil, Trichoderma viride, Neem oil and Trichoderma viride, Eucalyptus oil and Trichoderma viride, Clove oil and Trichoderma viride and control (untreated). Results showed combination treatment of Clove oil + Trichoderma viride @ 5% followed by Neem oil + Trichoderma viride @ 5% were best effective for the increment of plant growth parameters, viz. plant height, number of leaves. Besides, promoting plant growth, the treatments were most affective in disease reduction with a highest reduction in Clove oil + Trichoderma viride @ 5% (17.99%) followed by Neem oil + Trichoderma viride @ 5% (19.74%).