Abstract

PINEDA, Juan et al. Efficient and fast inoculation technique for evaluation of maize germplasms   (Zea mays L.) for resistance to Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn. Bioagro [online]. 2005, vol.17, n.2, pp.93-98. ISSN 1316-3361.

In search of resistance to Rhizoctonia solani in maize germplasms, it is necessary to make inoculation tests to determine its behavior. Inoculation techniques that provide fast, effective, and reliable responses in the manifestation of the disease and also of easy and practical application to a wide population of plants and genetic materials are required. Tests were conducted at UCLA, Posgrado de Agronomia in Tarabana, Lara state, Venezuela and in the facilities of DANAC Foundation in San Javier, Yaracuy state, utilizing 15 days old maize plants, developed under nursery conditions. Eight techniques were tested, among them seed inoculation, sowing in soil inoculated with infected mayze leaves or infected rice grains or esclerotia, application of esclerotia, micelia, infected mayze leaves or infected rice grains on the apex of 15 days old plants. R. solani stock was isolated from the locality of El Playón- Portuguesa state. The most practical and reliable technique was the use of infected rice grains at the time of sowing (incidence 100 %), although the use of R. solani esclerotia also was efficient, but less practical its application; the inoculation to the maize seed was efficient, but it showed to be of minor size the lesions. In foliage inoculation, the treatment with more incidences in plants (100 %) also was the one of rice kernels. The application of micelia alone, gave a fast response and large size of lesions (9.43 cm). The more surely and feasible technique for R. solani inoculation in 15 days old maize plants, by its facility of application and inocula multiplication, it constituted the rice grains infected with the pathogen.

Keywords : Germoplasm; banded leaf spot; disease resistance.