Diseases

Maize Root Rots

Zea mays L.

A complex of fungal diseases affecting the root system and basal part of the maize stem. Caused by soil-borne pathogens, primarily of the genera Fusarium and Pythium, leading to crop thinning and plant lodging.

In the reference 33 varieties crop Maize, where this is mentioned in the description.

The causative agents of the disease are soil-borne pathogens, most frequently Fusarium species (F. oxysporum, F. culmorum, F. avenaceum, F. graminearum) and Pythium, which are particularly active under conditions of excessive moisture in heavy soils. Diplodia zeae and Drechslera turcica are also involved in the pathogenesis, causing diplodia and helminthosporium forms of rot.

Symptoms manifest as seed decay, browning and death of roots, as well as the development of brown spots on basal nodes and internodes. In infected seedlings, a spiral curling of the leaf is characteristic; under humid conditions, mycelium with a white, pinkish, or reddish bloom often forms on the tissues.

In breeding practice, resistance to maize root rots is considered a quantitative trait controlled by quantitative trait loci (QTLs) rather than individual genes. Resistance in hybrids is complex, as infection usually occurs by several species of pathogens simultaneously.

General information about the subject — on the page Root rots.

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.