Characterization of the occurrence and distribution of northern corn leaf blight in the north central of Córdoba for ten years
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56926/repia.v4i1.112Keywords:
epidemiology, Exserohilum turcicum, Northern corn leaf blight, Zea maysAbstract
Northern corn leaf blight (NCLB), caused by the fungus Exserohilum turcicum, is Argentina's most significant corn disease in late planting dates. This study aimed to compile, organize, and analyze a ten-year corn health database to characterize the occurrence and spatial distribution of NCLB in the north-central region of Córdoba. Summary statistics, comparative analyses, multivariate statistics, regression classification trees, and geospatial mapping were applied to evaluate the relationship between crop management variables and final disease severity (FS). High average FS values (≥10%) were recorded in five crop growing seasons, with the highest levels observed in areas near Villa María and Villa María de Río Seco (45% and 62%, respectively). Genotype accounted for the most significant proportion of variation in FS (58.8%; p<0.0001), highlighting the importance of understanding hybrid performance in response to NCLB pressure. Later planting dates were associated with increased FS, and Neutral and La Niña exhibited a higher likelihood of severe disease outbreaks. These findings enhance our understanding of NCLB epidemiology in the region by describing its spatial and temporal dynamics and offering essential information for designing effective disease management strategies for this pathosystem.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Roberto Luis De Rossi, Fernando Andrés Guerra, María Cristina Plazas, María Celeste Gregoret, Gustavo Darío Guerra, Melo Reis Erlei
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