Genotypic variability in incidence of charcoal rot (Macrophomina phaseolina) and grain yield losses in maize.
Field experiments conducted for three winter seasons during 1985, 1986 and 1987 indicated that the maize hybrid DHM 103 was less susceptible to the charcoal rot incidence and yielded significantly more than Ganga-5. The linear regression models established that the estimated damage to yield per unit incidence of the disease was more in the latter (2.75 qfha) than in the former hybrid (2.04 q/ha). The locally grown cultivar ‘Warangal local’ was predisposed to a maximum incidence and yielded very low. But, the rate of yield loss per unit incidence was much less (1.45 q/ha). Seed dressing with Captaf @2 gjkg and drenching the soil with bleaching powder @ 1000 ppm chlorine cocentration at 45 and 60 days reduced the charcoal rot incidence and increased the grain yield significantly.