Diseases of Maize/ Corn - Zea mays L.

This chapter provides information on diseases of Maize/ Corn - Zea mays L., their symptoms, pathogen characters, epidemiology, and management. The diseases covered are Brown stripe downy mildew, Philippine downy mildew, Sugarcane downy mildew, Crazy top, Java downy mildew, Green ear, Rajasthan downy mildew, Leaf-splitting downy mildew, Spontaneous downy mildew, Turcicum leafblight, Maydis leafblight, Banded leaf and sheath blight, Tropical rust, Common rust, Southern rust, Common smut, Head smut, False head smut, Charcoal post flowering stalk rot, Pythium stalk rot, Fusarium stalk rot and wilt, Brown spot, Curvularia leaf spot, Grey leaf spot, Anthracnose, Rostratum leaf spot, Bacterial stalk rot, Maize dwarf mosaic, Maize mosaic, Maize streak and Maize streak. The primary source of infection is through oospores in soil and also dormant mycelium present in the infected maize seeds. The germ tube infects the underground sections of maize plants leading to characteristic symptoms of systemic infection including extensive chlorosis and stunted growth.