Foliar fungal diseases control and productivity depending on the phosphite and fungicide application in two corn hybrids

Abstract

BSTRACT Foliar diseases are among the main factors of losses in productivity and grain quality in all corn (Zea mays L.) producing regions. The objective of this work was to evaluate the control of corn foliar fungal diseases and yield as a function of phosphite and fungicide application. Two experiments were generated in the agricultural years 2014/2015 and 2015/2016, under “cerrado” area, in the municipality of Gurupi, Tocantins, Brazil. It was used a randomized block design in a factorial scheme of 4 (foliar treatment with fungicide, phosphite, fungicide mixture plus phosphite and water), x 2 (corn hybrids, AG7088 PROX and 30F53YH), with three replications. The products were applied in the stages with leaves and tasseling. For evaluating the disease severity, it was used a scale of visual grades. With severity, the Area Under Disease Progress Curve (AUDPC) was calculated. Besides, were determined the mass of thousand grains (kg ha-1) and the productivity (kg ha-1). The hybrid AG7088 PROX showed low severity of the diseases found: Bipolaris maydis, polysorbital rust and Curvularia spot. In the genotype 30F53YH, it was verified a higher AUDPC of the polysor rust, being its control more effective with an application of the fungicide and in mixture with the phosphite. The application of phosphite did little to reduce the AUDPC of the diseases when compared to the fungicide, alone or in mixture with the phosphite, but high productivity was obtained with the use of phosphite alone or in mixture with the fungicide.

Keywords

• alternative control
• bipolaris maydis
• curvularia sp.
• puccinia polysora
• zea mays