Diseases

Bacterial diseases of maize

Zea mays L. subsp. mays (Maize Group)

A group of infectious diseases of maize caused by specific species of pathogenic bacteria, leading to systemic wilting, stalk rots, leaf spots, and ear infection.

In the reference 13 varieties crop Maize, where this is mentioned in the description.

The primary vascular disease of the crop is bacterial wilt, caused by Pantoea stewartii subsp. stewartii. The disease manifests as rapid wilting of young plants and the appearance of light green or yellow stripes on the leaves of mature specimens; a yellow exudate is released upon cross-sectioning of the stalk.

Ear rot, caused by Bacillus mesentericus var. vulgatus, affects plants in the milk stage, forming depressed, pale gray, ulcer-like spots on the tips. The infection is often spread with the involvement of the cereal bug Trygonotylus ruficornis, which damages the kernel tissues.

Other pathogens include Xanthomonas campestris pv. holcicola, Xanthomonas vasicola pv. zeae, Enterobacter dissolvens, and Pseudomonas andropogonis, which cause leaf spots, streaking, and stalk rots. Resistance to these diseases is considered a complex trait in breeding, associated with specific genome loci.

General information about the subject — on the page Bacterial diseases.

Sources8

Varieties of Maize mentioned in the description

Selection based on the description text, not on official evaluation: these data are absent from registers. For specific variety details, please refer to its profile.