Management of banded sheath blight of maize caused by Rhizoctonia solani

Banded sheath blight of maize, caused by Rhizoctonia solani f. sp. sasakii, is a significant disease impacting maize production, leading to substantial yield losses. This study was conducted in the Department of Plant Pathology at Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. Results indicated that Trichoderma harzianum (T3) and Pseudomonas fluorescens (T2) were the most effective treatments, significantly reducing PDI and increasing PDC compared to the control. At 90 DAS, T3 exhibited a PDI of 41.27% and a PDC of 40.94%, while T2 showed a PDI of 44.33% and a PDC of 36.57%. carbendazim (T1) also performed well, with a PDI of 39.60% and a PDC of 43.32% at 90 DAS. Foliar applications of neem oil (T5), Garlic oil (T7), and clove oil (T6) showed moderate efficacy. In terms of plant growth, treatments significantly influenced plant height and the number of leaves. T1 (carbendazim) resulted in the highest plant height and number of leaves at all intervals, followed closely by T3 and T2. Yield data corroborated these findings, with treated plots showing enhanced productivity over the control.