Effect of Harvest Time and Insect Control as Agriculture Practices on Maize Ear Rot Disease and Kernels Contamination by Some Mycotoxins

Abstract

Under field conditions, reaction of maize (Zea mays) genotypes against ear and kernels rot disease was studied under natural infection at two different harvest time and insect control at Sakha Agricultural Research Station, Egypt, seasons 2019 and 2020. In the field, split-plot design with three replicates was applied, maize hybrids were allocated in main plots, harvest time and insect control were assigned in sub plots. Results concluded that, hybrids of TWC353, SCs176 and 131 showed the highest mean ears rot infection and contamination with fumonisin (FB1) and aflatoxins, as well as the lowest yield weight. In reverse to, SCs10, 128 and 130 hybrids, they recorded the lowest response to disease infection and toxin contamination beside they gave the highest yield. Moreover, interaction between harvest time showed that, insect control by Pestban insecticide with normal harvest followed by early harvest led to yield enhancement and caused reduction on ear rot disease and its severity, FB1 and aflatoxins accumulation compared to normal harvest without controlling insects. Concerning of interaction between maize genotypes and insect control with normal harvest, it was found a reduction in grains contamination by toxins in most tested maize hybrids as a result to reduction of ear rot disease which affected by controlling of insect injury by Pestban insecticide, followed by interaction between early harvest and maize hybrids.