Status of Maize Diseases in Bankura District of West Bengal

Background: Agricultural Reviews Maize is an important cereal crop after rice and wheat and in West Bengal importance and area of maize is increasing day by day. Methods: For studying the biotic stresses of maize crop in southern and western part of West Bengal a roving survey work was conducted during kharif season of 2022, 2023 and 2024 in bankura districts. West Bengal is under North Eastern Plain zone of India and this zone is prone to blight diseases of any crop as well as maize also. Result: The leaf blight diseases are very much common in maize crop in this state specially Northern leaf blight and Southern leaf blight. Both diseases are found in kharif and rabi seasons but the intensity is more during kharif season in comparison to rabi. Besides Curvularia leaf spot, stalk rot/post flowering stalk rot, Brown spot of maize diseases are also found in some areas of these parts of West Bengal.