Abstract
Organic farming is becoming increasingly popular because it leads to healthier products. Due to limitations on the use of chemical protection, however, plants may be more susceptible to pathogen attacks. Therefore, the aim of the study was to determine the occurrence of fungal diseases in maize grown in organic versus integrated systems. The field experiment was conducted during the years 2017–2019 in Puławy, Poland. Three maize varieties, Ambrosini, Smolitop and Ricardinio, were cultivated in two fields with a different crop production system. The incidence of fungal diseases, such as northern corn leaf blight, eyespot, common corn rust, corn smut and Fusarium ear rot, was assessed. Fungal isolates were collected from leaves and cobs with disease symptoms and identified microscopically and molecularly. In both cultivation systems, northern corn leaf blight and eyespot were the most common, while corn rust and fusariosis were seen more often in organic cultivation. Alternaria alternata, Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium poae, Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium sporotrichioides were the fungal species most frequently detected in the two systems. Additionally, Fusarium verticillioides was common in the organic system. Weather conditions, especially heavy rainfall and high air humidity, greatly influenced the incidence of such diseases.
Highlights
Academic Editor: Aiming QiMaize (Zea mays L.) is widely used in agriculture and the food industry all over the world, including Poland
It is probable that the high air humidity and the difference in the amount of precipitation between July and August had an impact on the frequency and occurrence of fungal diseases in maize plantations
This could explain the presence of E. turcicum infections in both maize systems in 2018 because it thrives during periods of moderate, wet and humid weather [35]
Summary
Maize (Zea mays L.) is widely used in agriculture and the food industry all over the world, including Poland. Grain and maize silage are used mainly as feed in livestock production. Corn is processed into a wide variety of food and industrial products. The corn market is one of the most dynamically developing agricultural markets. This is due to the versatility of the use of corn. Southwest and west of Poland, varieties are grown for grain much later than in other regions of the country. When maize is used for silage, slightly later varieties are chosen, which are characterised by higher productivity in both grain yield and green matter per hectare [2]
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