Management of Southern Corn Leaf Blight (SCLB) with Antagonists, Botanicals and Fungicides

Southern corn leaf blight (SCLB) is a fungal disease that affects maize and is caused by the plant pathogen Bipolaris maydis. The impact of fungicides and biocontrol agents against Bipolaris maydis, both in vitro and in vivo conditions was evaluated. Under in vitro conditions, Pseudomonas fluorescens exhibited a more pronounced inhibitory effect on this fungus compared to T. harzianum. Moreover, the study revealed that neem extract demonstrated significant inhibitory effects on maize crops, thereby indicating its potential in plant disease management. Chemical fungicides can also be employed for disease combinations such as carbendazim + mancozeb proved effective against southern corn leaf blight. In vitro experiments further indicated that chemicals like azoxystrobin and propiconazole exhibited growth inhibition of the fungus at low concentrations, suggesting their utility in managing the disease.