IDENTIFICATION OF ELITE MAIZE (Zea mays L.) GERMPLASM WITH RESISTANCE TO POST-FLOWERING STALK ROT THROUGH PHENOTYPIC FIELD EVALUATION

Post-Flowering Stalk Rot (PFSR) is one of the most destructive diseases limiting maize (Zea mays L.)productivity in tropical and subtropical regions, causing severe stalk deterioration, lodging andsubstantial yield losses. The development and deployment of resistant germplasm remain the mostsustainable and economically viable strategy for disease management. The present study was undertakento identify elite maize germplasm with resistance to PFSR through phenotypic field evaluation underartificial epiphytotic conditions. A diverse set of maize germplasm comprising inbred lines, hybrids andstandard checks was evaluated in an alpha lattice design with two replications in two seasons. Artificialinoculation was performed at the post-silking stage using the toothpick inoculation method with avirulent isolate of Macrophomina phaseolina and disease severity was assessed using the standard 1–9disease rating scale. Significant variation in disease response was observed among the evaluatedgermplasm, indicating the presence of substantial genetic variability for PFSR resistance. Among 126germplasm evaluated, 22 were classified as resistant, four as susceptible and one is highly susceptiblebased on pooled disease score. The resistant germplasm exhibited minimal stalk discoloration and lowerdisease severity, whereas susceptible entries showed extensive stalk degradation and lodging. Theresistant germplasm identified in the present investigation represents valuable genetic resources forMaize improvement programmes and can be effectively utilized as donor parents in breeding for durablePFSR resistance. Phenotypic field screening under artificial inoculation proved to be an efficient andreliable approach for identifying resistant sources, thereby facilitating the development of high-yieldingmaize hybrids with enhanced resistance to post-flowering stalk rot.