Maize Diseases and Their Sustainable Management in India: Current Status and Future Perspectives

Information embodied in this review pertains to the common diseases affecting maize production in India. The major diseases in the country are three downy mildews, four foliar, leaf, and sheath blight and two pre-flowering, three post-flowering stalk rots. The ubiquitous incidence of diseases at the pre-harvest stage has been an important bottleneck in increasing production. Losses from these diseases may vary according to disease occurrence, congenial environmental conditions, host genotype, and time (growth stage of the crop) of infection. Loss estimates in India have been put at around 13.2%, but actual losses can be as high as 80% in natural and artificial created epiphytotic conditions. The book chapter provides latest information on epidemiology, disease cycle, genetics of disease resistance and integrated crop management methods. All of this information should lead to more efficient management of maize pathogens.