Influences of Plant Density on Common Smut Resistance Under Artificial and Natural Infection in Maize.

Abstract

Climatic condition around the plant greatly affected by differ plant density, since the high plant density could increase relative humidity around the plants and increase the smut incidence in maize plants. The present study reported that, increasing plant density from 20.000 to 30.000 plants/fed. Significantly decreased the yield, ear length and increased percent of infection by the disease .In the reverse, the disease index was increased by decreasing plant density. The optimum plant density which gave the highest yield, the longest ear and moderately infection by the smut disease was 20.000 plants /fed. Moreover, the single crosses 107, bashaier -13 gave the lowest rate of infection percent and disease index comparing with other tested caultivars. The open pollinated variety G-2 and Bush gave the highest rate of susceptibility infection percent and disease index. The results revealed that resistant to common smut deferred significantly from one year to another, meanwhile the disease index not varied in the two years.