~ 1660 ~ Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry 2020; 9(2): 1660-1663 E-ISSN: 2278-4136 P-ISSN: 2349-8234 www.phytojournal.com JPP 2020; 9(2): 1660-1663 Received: 04-01-2020 Accepted: 08-02-2020 Sloka Kumari Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India Shashi Tiwari Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India Mohammad Faisal Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India Corresponding Author: Sloka Kumari Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India Eco-friendly management of northern Corsn leaf blight of maize ( Zea mays L.) Sloka Kumari, Shashi Tiwari and Mohammad Faisal DOI: https://doi.org/10.22271/phyto.2020.v9.i2ab.11094 Abstract Maize is known as ‘Queen of cereals’ and used for both as food and fodder purposes. In India its production and productivity in 2017-18 were 25,000MT and 2.63MT/Ha respectively. In enlist of some major diseases, Northern Corn Leaf Blight disease is more prevalent in India and high wide host range and yield losses upto 25-90% caused by Exserohilum turcicum Pass. As the diseases are incurable but can be prevented by seed treatments with chemicals. As the uses of chemicals are hazardous these days, therefore an experiment entitled “Eco-friendly management of Northern Corn Leaf Blight of maize (Zea mays L.)” was carried out with some essential oils of botanicals and bio-agent. In field condition treatments as seed treatments were: Neem oil, Eucalyptus oil, Clove oil, Trichoderma viride, Neem oil and Trichoderma viride, Eucalyptus oil and Trichoderma viride, Clove oil and Trichoderma viride and control (untreated). Results showed combination treatment of Clove oil + Trichoderma viride @ 5% followed by Neem oil + Trichoderma viride @ 5% were best effective for the increment of plant growth parameters, viz. plant height, number of leaves. Besides, promoting plant growth, the treatments were most affective in disease reduction with a highest reduction in Clove oil + Trichoderma viride @ 5% (17.99%) followed by Neem oil + Trichoderma viride @ 5% (19.74%). Keywords: Botanicals, bio-agent, Northern Corn Leaf Blight, Exserohilum turcicum Pass., Eco-friendly Introduction Maize is known as ‘Queen of cereals’ and ‘Miracle crop’ because of i ts immense potential. It is the 3 rd major crop in India after rice and wheat (Reddy et al., 2013) [10] . Maize is tall annual plant which grows to a height of 100cm-300cm.The nutritional requirement for maize, are N 60-120, P2O5 60-70, K2O 90-110 Kg ha -1 (Sarvari and PEPO, 2014). Globally, Maize area, production and productivity in 2017-18 are 1,80,639 hectare(Ha), 10,33,664 Metric tonne and 5.72 million tonne/hectare respectively (NCoMM commodities report, 2017). Maize can be used in many ways like as Maize flour, Corn syrup, Kitty litter, Cornstarch, and Maize mazes etc. Maize is generally used as food and fodder crop. Maize is cross-pollinated crop but self-pollination may occur 5-10 per cent (Singh et al., 2014) [12] . It’s origin is ‘Mexico’ and family is ‘Graminea’. Nutritional value of maize on percentage dry matter basis are as following starch (71-72%), protein (9-10%), fat (4-45%), fibre (9-10%), sugar (2-3%), minerals(Ash) 1.4%. It is the single and largest source of calories and protein for the poor. Enlist of some major diseases in maize are northern corn leaf blight, southern corn leaf blight, gray leaf spot, curvularia leaf spot, brown spot, head smut, common rust, root rot, banded leaf and sheath leaf blight etc. (Dey et al., 2015) [5] . It is rich in macronutrients and micronutrients like Calcium, Potassium, Zinc, Iron, Selenium, Mangenese and Magnesium. It can be germinate in 21 0 C and for growth 32 0 C.The nutritional requirement for maize, are N 60-120, P2O5 60-70, K2O 90-110 Kg ha -1 (Sarvari and PEPO, 2014). NCLB or TLB is a foliar fungal disease caused by Exserohilum turcicum (Pass.) but this pathogen is early known as Helminthosporium turcicum Pass. This disease is more prevalent in humid areas with moderate temperatures. This pathogen has high wide host range and yield losses upto 28-91% in Tanzania (Nwanosike et al., 2015) [9] . The pathogen and the disease were first reported by Passerini (1876) from Perma, Italy. Luttrell (1957) described the perfect stage of the fungus as Trichometaspheria turcica. The perfect state of Exserohilum turcicum, Setosphaeria turcica (Luttrell) is rarely found in nature (Leonard and Suggs., 2009). NCLB or TLB has long, elliptical, gray-green lesions and as the lesions mature, they beome tan with darkish zones of fugal sporulation. The lesions are 3-15 cm in length and lesions look like cigar shaped. This infection starts inhibiting photosynthetic activities on leaf surface. The lesions are appear to dark grey, olive or black and the gray black mold layer is the pathogen’s condiphores and conidia (K. S. Hooda et al., 2017) [6] .