Mesele Haile Onu

Epidemiology and Management of Northern Leaf Blight (Exserohilum turcicum) of Maize (Zea mays L.) in Ethiopia

The frequent emergence of new races of the Exserohilum turcicum pathogen has posed a big challenge in the management of the disease. Most cultivars currently grown by farmers in Ethiopia are potentially vulnerable to this disease. Nevertheless the Despite the importance of disease and the potential for considerable production losses, no investigation has been undertaken on the factors influencing epidemics or the association of factors with disease development, and pathogen diversity, from which management strategies could be derived. Therefore, the current study will be formulated with the following objectives: To assess the spatial distribution and association of NLB severity with biophysical factors, To determine the diversity of E. turcicum isolates causing NCLB in Ethiopia and to identify promising NCLB-resistant maize inbred lines; to determine the combining ability and nature of gene action for resistance to NCLB; and to quantify the effects of host and fungicide application.