makka stalk rot post flowering lodging fungal potash drainage
How do I control stalk rot and root lodging in maize?
RRavinder8mo ago · 330 views
7 Answers
🌾Farmer.in Krishi TeamExpert ✓8mo ago
Post-flowering stalk rots cause the lower stalk to soften, rot and snap, leading to lodging and shrivelled cobs, and are worse under moisture stress after flowering, waterlogging, potassium deficiency and high plant density. Manage them with balanced fertiliser, especially enough potash, good drainage so roots are not waterlogged, avoiding both drought and excess water at grain filling, and not over-crowding the crop. Grow tolerant hybrids, rotate with non-cereal crops, and plough in or remove infected stubble that carries the fungi. There is no good chemical cure once stalk rot sets in, so prevention through nutrition, water management and resistant hybrids is the main tool. Harvest promptly if stalks start weakening to avoid lodging loss. Confirm hybrid choice with your local KVK.
SSrikanth8mo ago
My crop lodged after a dry spell post flowering on low potash. Fixing potash and drainage stopped it next season.
KKailas Patil7mo ago
In Maharashtra I open a drainage channel before the monsoon so water never stands in the field, and the stalk rot dropped sharply. Waterlogged roots were half my problem.
NNaveen Kumar7mo ago
One caution: I do the simple push test, walking the rows and pushing stalks at an angle late in the season, and harvest first wherever they feel soft and bend. Catching the weak patches early saved cobs that would have fallen.
BBasavaraju6mo ago
In Karnataka I avoided crowding my crop too thick and gave the recommended potash, and the stalk rot that troubled my dense field earlier eased a lot. Roomier, well-fed plants stood far better through grain filling.
SSushil Kumar6mo ago
One tip from Bihar: I rotated maize with a pulse on the worst-affected plot instead of growing maize after maize, and the disease build-up came down. Breaking the cycle with a non-cereal crop helped more than I expected.
MMukesh Lodhi6mo ago
A caution from my Madhya Pradesh fields: do not let the crop go through a long dry spell right after flowering, because that stress brought on the stalk rot worst for me. A timely irrigation at grain filling kept the lower stalks firm.