Screening and Evaluation of Maize Genotypes against Banded Leaf and Sheath Blight Disease under Artificial Epiphytotic Conditions

Maize is important cereal crop and provides nutrition and basic raw material for various industries. Its production is hampered by various biotic and abiotic factors. Among various pathogens attacking maize, banded leaf and sheath blight (BLSB) caused by Rhizoctonia solani f.sp sasakii is a very serious impediment for quality maize production. There is very less availability of resistance sources against this disease. There is a need to develop resistant varieties to overcome the health hazards associated with the excessive use of chemical pesticides. Keeping in view the importance of the disease, the present investigation was carried out at Regional Research Station Uchani, Karnal of CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar and twenty seven hybrids and sixty inbred lines of maize were screened and scored for their disease reaction against banded leaf and sheath blight disease to find out new sources of resistance so that it can boost future maize breeding programmes. Results revealed that seven maize hybrids viz., HM-8, HKI 295×L287, HKI 327T×L287, HKI 1041-2×L287, HKI 1663×193-2, PC-8ER-2×PC SONA, PCMYD-7×PC SONA and only two inbred lines viz., HKI 1128 and HKI 1345 W of maize showed resistant reaction (≤ 33.33% disease severity) against R. solani under artificial inoculation conditions.