Maize Smut Induced by Ustilago maydis (D. C.) Corda – Reaction of Maize Hybrids and Lines to Smut Disease

A field experiment was carried out during the growing seasons 1982, 1983 and 1984 to evaluate the reaction of different maize hybrids and lines to smut disease and to give further informations on the effect of environmental factors on smut incidence.
The kernels of 17 different maize hybrids and 17 inbred line were planted in the field and the stand was maintained constant of 30 plants per row during the respective years. Each plant was subjected to an artificial infection by dropping 2 ml of U. maydis -spore suspension into the leaf whorl at 6–8 leaf stage. Field observations, concerning the number, the size and location of smut galls were recorded for each individual plant whenever the symptoms appeared. The reaction of maize genotypes was evaluated on a new classified system and the differential response was correlated with the changes ol meteorological data.
The results indicated that hybrids: Circe LG9, E1, Kaceplns, Limac-LG11 and RA 94A x RA 320 as well as lines: F2, L1, L2, L8, RA 94A, RA 320, W33 and W401 were highly resistant; while the hybrids E2, F7 x EP1.J and Giga as well as lines: EP1J, F115, L5 and L6 were highly susceptible. The reaction of these genotypes exhibited an identical behaviour during the 3 years. The remaining genotypes were unstable and showed differential response to degree of infection and location of smut galls. The increase of smut infection in 1982 relative to that recorded in 1984, under the same wet weather conditions, was attributed to the increase of air temperature and sunshine duration. Under dry weather condition, as in 1983, increasing temperature and sunshine duration had little effect on smut incidence.