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L.N. Revathy

Coimbatore, Nov. 5 The downy mildew attack on the maize crop is said to be on the rise in Tamil Nadu, particularly in the maize-growing belts of Coimbatore, Udumalpet, Dharapuram, Odanchatram, Dindigul and Theni districts.

Though the extent of the damage is not known as yet, the Associate Professor and Head of TNAU’s Maize Research Station, Dr S. Arumugachamy, perceives the intensity of the damage to be severe this year compared to the last.

‘This soil-borne group of fungi affects the plant at the early stages (30 days) of crop development. The pathogen resides in the soil and gets aggravated when the relative soil humidity rises, affecting the growth prospects and production,’ he told Business Line.

Estimates show a 100 per cent (crop) devastation in about 10 to 15 per cent of the 47,000 hectares under maize in Dindigul district. “Due to higher yields and good market price, a good number of farmers in this belt have switched over to maize cultivation. They cultivate 2 to 3 crops a year. Continuous cropping and a congenial environment has led to development of pests and diseases, especially downy mildew,” Dr Arumugachamy said.

He explained that the yellow streaks on the leaves, downy fungal growth on the lower side of the leaves, stunted plant growth and malformation of tassel signaled prevalence of the disease.

“Farmers should treat the seed with metalaxyl before sowing, avoid closer spacing, avoid raising fodder maize/sorghum near fields as it serves as alternate source of innoculum build-up, and remove and burn the infested plants away from cultivable area to manage the spread. Further, they should avoid continuous maize cropping,” he advised.

More Stories on : Foodgrains | Pests | Tamil Nadu

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