Exserohilum turcicum (Northern Corn Leaf Blight) Severity on Maize Hybrids and the Associated Crop Performance in O.R. Tambo District, Eastern Cape, South Africa

Exserohilum turcicum is a fungus that causes northern corn leaf blight (NCLB) and has deleterious effects on maize production globally. Therefore, it is prudent to mitigate the effects of NCLB using genetic diversity. The objective of this research was to assess the severity of NCLB disease on the growth and yield of various maize genotypes. A randomized complete block design field experiment, replicated three times, was conducted to evaluate the effect of E. turcicum on 10 maize hybrids. Percent disease index, plant height, and leaf area were recorded at the silk stage. Cob weight, grain fresh weight, and grain yields were determined at harvest maturity. All measured parameters were significantly different (P<0.05) between the maize hybrids. Of the 10 genotypes, four (PAN 4R-528R, PAN 4R-728BR, PAN 3R-724BR, and P1788BR) were susceptible, five (DKC74-74BR, PAN 5R-582R, PAN 5R-890R, PAN 5R-854R, and PAN 5R-590R) were moderately susceptible, and one (DKC80-40BR) was moderately resistant. DKC80-40BR exhibited greater cob weight, while DKC74-74BR was superior in all other plant growth and yield components. Interestingly, although not significant (P>0.05) and high, maize growth and yield parameters had negative correlations with disease incidence, except for grain fresh weight. Therefore, DKC80-40BR may be selected for cultivation in areas prone to NCLB to reduce maize susceptibility to the disease, while DKC74-74BR may improve crop performance. These hybrids could be considered as potential sources of resistance or tolerance to NCLB for further validation by plant breeders.