Abstract
Surveys of 8 districts of Central Punjab, Pakistan namely Sialkot, Narowal, Gujranwal, Hafizabad, Shekhupura, Lahore, Okara and Sahiwal; and five districts of South Punjab namely Khanewal, Multan, Muzaffargarh, Vehari and Lodhran were carried out during April 2014 to assess the distribution of stalk rot of maize (Zea mays L.). In each district three sampling sites were selected. From each site data were collected from three fields well apart from each other. Disease prevalence (DP) was calculated on the basis of presence or absence of disease at each visited site. Disease incidence (DI) was calculated on the basis of number of infected plants out of total plants. Likewise, disease severity index (DSI) was recorded on the basis of plant area infected or damaged. Stalk rot disease was found in all the surveyed areas showing 100% prevalence. Disease incidence varied from 41 to 51% in different districts. The highest DI was recorded in Sialkot and Sahiwal. DSI ranged from 17.4% in Hafizabad to 30.2% in Sahiwal. Different species of Fusarium namely F. vericeiliodes (Sacc.) Nirenberg, F. oxysporum Snyder & Hansen, F. prolifiratum Nirenberg ex Gerlach & Nirenberg, F. moniliforme J. Sheld., F. bullatum Sherb., F. thapsinum Klittich, Leslie, Nelson & Marasas, F. incarnatum (Desm.) Sacc. and F. acchari (Butler & Khan) Gams were found associated with maize plants infected with stalk rot disease.
