APPLICATION OF FUNGICIDES IN THE CONTROL OF FOLIAR DISEASES IN MAIZE CROP

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of fungicides to control foliar diseases ofcorn, polysora rust and white spot, caused by Puccinia polysora and probably by Phaeosphaeria maydis (unknownetiology), respectively, and its effect on crop productivity. The experiment was carried out at the Fazenda Vinicius,in Patos de Minas, MG, Brazil. The following fungicides (g i.a l-1) were applied with hand sprayer on the cultivar30F53H, at the V10 stage (ten fully developed leaves) of the corn crop: pyraclostrobin + epoxiconazole (133 + 50),azoxystrobin + cyproconazole (200 + 80), trifloxystrobin + tebuconazole (100 + 200). The experimental design wasrandomized blocks with four treatments and four replications. Plots without fungicide application were used as thecontrol treatment. A disease severity rating scale was used for disease evaluation (0 = no lesions or no leaves pustulesand 5 = lesions in 100% of the leaves, with dried plants). A significant reduction in the severity of the white spot wasobserved in the plots where fungicides were applied compared to control, but there was no difference between thetested fungicides. Significant difference between treatments was not observed in the control of P. polysora and in cornproductivity.