MULUNGUSHI UNIVERSITY.

SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES.

CROP DISEASE MANAGEMENT.

NAME: IZUKANJI KAYORA.

STUDENT NUMBER:201901182.
TOPIC: DIPLODIA COB (EAR) ROT IN MAIZE.
LECTURER: DR. MPHANDE.
INTRODUCTION
Maize (Zea mays L.) is the staple food for majority of households in Zambia, the
maize is greatly affected by Diplodia ear rot, which is caused by the Fungus
Stenocarpella maydis The growths squeeze by in corn development and seed, and
will overall be of an issue in corn following corn fields. Diplodia is known to be more
hazardous when there is precipitation after the maize cobs have developed. Water
gets inside the cob cover which permits the growth to go after the maize grains.
Cultural practices which lessen the water getting inside the cob covers decrease
Diplodia cob rot. Likewise, varieties with grain types that prevent the spread of the
fungus can be utilized.
Diplodia ear decay is favoured by cool and wet weather patterns during grain fill.
Infection happens through the silks as well as ear shank, or by means of the
foundation of the husks of the ear. Dry spell in the early piece of a production
season, followed by downpour during the late season, make favourable conditions ,
particularly where high inoculum sources are available in the stubble on the
soil.(Luna & Wise, 2015)
The whole ear becomes loaded up with a white mycelial growth that influences grain
quality. infected portions are light in weight and weak, effectively breaking during
post-gather handling, and in the end bring about the minimizing of a consignment of
maize.(Woloshuk & Wise, n.d.)
Diplopia ear rot can repeat in specific regions. Should infected grain be blended in
with sound grain during gathering, quality will be compromised, prompting a lower
cost. Whenever early diseases are available in an epidemic, yield losses can be of
extraordinary economic significance.
This infection is found in pretty much every region in where corn is developed.
Diplopia ear rot can diminish yield and grain quality by damaging kernels, bringing
down grain test weight, and lessening grain fill. Occurrence of impacted ears in the
field can change from 1% or 2% to as high as 80%(Wise et al., n.d.). The increase
in no-till or diminished till real acreage, in addition to c corn without rotation are
factors that favour Diplopia ear decay. Hybrid susceptibility and weather conditions
likewise add to disease advancement.
DISEASE LIFE CYCLE
The cycle starts from sexual or agamic spores that over - winter on corn or traces of
stubble. The spores are transported by abiotic (wind, downpour drops) and biotic
(bugs, birds) experts towards the maize tassel, where they track down the key ways
to the plant. ' S. maydis spores are transmitted via air, seed and soil. Airborne
spores bring about heavy infection up to 10 m from the inoculum source and the
quantity of effective infection is decreased with distance from the source.
Single spores travelling significant distances might prompt follow infection which
may then form into an epidemic focal point. Infected maize seed is a significant
inoculum source which might bring about seedling and crown rot infections. In any
case, most of Diplodia infected kernels don’t germinate.
Spores land behind leaf or ear sheaths where they develop and taint ears. Spore
germination is hindered by openness to daylight and parching. Free water is
essential for germination. Germination might require as long as seven days after
spore germination. Germinated spores might enter tissue and lie dominant until
conditions are positive for parasitic development through the tissues.

(Isabirye et al., 2012)

symptoms and signs include:
Diplodia ear rot for the most part show up at beginning phase, despite the fact that
they may not be seen until harvest. (Wise et al., n.d.). The most well-known sign
related with Diplodia ear rot is a white/gray mold on ears, by and large beginning at
the foundation of ears and advancing toward tips (As, 1979).
Diplodia ear rot disease regularly happens in the fourteen days preceding and
subsequent to silking (Grabow, 2015). The ear rot stage initially becomes apparent
from a distance when husks turn tan prematurely. Dark specks show up on the husk,
shank and kernels. While pulling the husks back, the ear will have a whitish mold
foaming in the sections between part pushes, generally beginning at the foundation
of the ear and advancing toward the tip.

Managing the Disease

To prevent a re-event of Diplodia ear rot, tillage following a corn rotation is
encouraged. Rotation out of corn will permit corn build up to degrade, decreasing
the presence of the pathogen. Corn hybrids fluctuate in their susceptibility to
Diplodia ear rot. (Woloshuk & Wise, n.d.). In regions where the disease widely
spreads, consider planting variety.
The disease will keep on creating in the field as long as conditions stay favourable.
Fields with high rate of Diplodia ear rot ought to be harvested at the earliest
opportunity and immediately dried to 14% moisture before storage. In a perfect
world, fields ought to be explored to recognize regions with Diplodia ear rot problem
areas and these regions ought to be collected and put away independently from
grain reaped from better segments of the field. Higher moisture, warm
circumstances, and pockets of moldy grain away will prompt additionally spread of
the infection and even colonization of the grain with different pathogen.
In the beginning phases of plant development, the primary technique to control the
disease is the utilization of fungicides to the seed to prevent pathogens coming into
contact with the host. Nonetheless, it has been seen that a few fungicides can
impede plant development and others decrease seed germination. (Isabirye et al.,
2012)
A one to two-year rotation is a viable administration choice for Diplodia ear rot. It
will radically diminish how much inoculum in the field, in this manner decreasing the
amount of disease. Where suitable, expanding culturing will likewise diminish how
much disease in the following yield. Lessening other plant stresses by managing
insect pests, foliar infections, adjusting fertility, and planting at recommended
population rates will diminish the risk of Diplodia. Establishing half breeds with
changing development will diminish the risk of the relative multitude of plants being
susceptible simultaneously assuming weather patterns are good for infection around
silking. Fungicides are not compelling at controlling the Diplodia disease. (Grabow,
2015)
HOW DOES DIPLODIA CAUSES DAMAGE TO THE MAIZE COB AND THE
LOSSES IN SOCIAL ECONOMIC TERMS AT NATIONALOR INTERNATIONAL
LEVELS
Maize ear rot fungi have been reported to be responsible for significant amounts of
economic loss due to reduced crop yield and reduced grain quality(Mweshi, 2009)
In the event that a low level of spoiled portions (infected by Diplodia ear rot) is
disposed of during the harvesting process, grain quality decreases are noted.
Furthermore, where a high level of spoiled kernels is disposed of in the harvest, this
process will further lead development better grain quality through protecting the
healthy grain from the infected grain, however this process will manifest itself as
yield loss.(Dorrance et al., 1998)
In instances were animals feed on the remaining parts of a gathered field which was
impacted by Diplodia corn rot the disease is passed on to the animal this disease is
known as Diplodiosis a deadly neural disorder in livestock(Thompson & Raizada,
2018). Diplodiosis nervous disorder of cattle and sheep, results from the ingestion
of ears infected by S. maydis (Nyhus, 1989). Diplodiosis happen from six days to
about fourteen days after the animals are put on fields with infected maize ears the
animals have high chances of dying as result leading to low population of animals.
STRATEGIES THAT CONTRIBUTE TO A BETTER IPM APPRAOCH IN
CONTROLING DIPLODIA MAIZE ROT COB
There are general methods currently being implemented to protect maize against
Diplodia ear rot such as improvements in crop nutrition (fertilizers), water
availability, crop rotation, cropping density, tillage, fungicides and biocontrol.
Some of the strategies are to avoid delays in harvesting maize from the field once it
is prepared for harvest. This shortens the attacking period of the fungus .Harvest
the maize before it begins shelling all alone, for example at the point when it is at
around 15 % moisture content, abstain from establishing short-developing
assortments (multi month assortments), for instance MM 441 or ZMS 402, in longer
season regions like the Northern part of Zambia (whose season requires 5 to a half
year)(Cultural Control of Diplodia Cob Rot in Maize, 2013). These varieties will
develop when it's actually raining. Use maize varieties, for example, MRI 634 whose
cobs are totally closed with covers at development rather than those which open.
Varieties that face down at development, for example, MRI 624 are less likely to be
attacked than those which remain upright (Cultural Control of Diplodia Cob Rot in
Maize, 2013). Crop rotation can likewise be utilized and soybean is great yield to
trade with maize on a similar piece of land.
Try not to establish ridiculously high plant population on minimal soils and in regions
where there is a high likelihood of dry spell, leaf disease conditions
Ensure plant nourishment is satisfactory and adjusted comparative with the yield
capability of the land or region to be planted. unnecessary stresses on the yield
might expand the potential for Diplodia ear rot, which in a roundabout way in the
long haul might increment inoculum levels on the land and under conditions positive
for Diplodia ear rot a pandemic might happen.
As recently expressed, the incidence and severity of Diplodia diseases are intently
attached to the natural circumstances at silking. Hence, anticipating levels of any
future diseases and injury becomes troublesome. In any case, obviously, Diplodia
has profited from the far reaching reception of protection culturing rehearses. With
the proceeded with utilization of these practices across a wide geographic region,
the rate and seriousness of Diplodia could increment decisively later on.(Steckel,
2003)
Appropriate drying, hand arranging to isolate spoiled grain from great health grain,
and burning spoiled grain could likewise be utilized by farmers to limit ear rot
infection. Nonetheless, most farmers can't carry out the majority of the social
cultural measures because of absence of monetary assets and work requirements.
Numerous maize varieties are impacted by these mycotoxins primarily in light of
the fact that the natural co-event of ear decays and mycotoxins in common.(Mweshi,
2009). Subsequently, breeding for a single ear decay may not be guaranteed to give
protection from other ear rots. It is in this manner basic the exploration is started
that would help limited scope farmers to meet internationally accepted maize quality
standard.
Fungicides are the most well-known chemical inputs utilized by farmers control
Diplodia ear rot and remain promising as far as future research in order to protect
maize from significant damage and mycotoxin accumulation. Despite the utilization
of fungicides Diplodia ear rot is observed on some maize cobs, his enough proof that
maybe useful but cannot completely be the solution to Diplodia ear rot.
Fungicides might be helpful, for example, in-season sprays which are adjusted to
stick to silks, or are applied as a seed coating and fundamental inside the silks.
However, fungi can potentially develop resistance to fungicides, which increases the
need for new approaches.
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