Effetti della miscela di azoxystrobin – propiconazole su difesa, produzione e qualità del mais da granella.

Foliar fungicides are widely used to control pests on several crops and, on the last decade, they have also become more common on maize. The yield advantages derived from foliar fungicides on maize, as for other crops, could be related not only to the direct control of the disease, but also to physiological effects on the plant. The aim of the research was to evaluate the response of maize to the application of an azoxystrobin and propiconazole mixture. The fungicide was applied to hybrids with different susceptibility to Northern Corn Leaf Blight (NCLB) foliar disease in 5 different application timings from the 4th full expanded leaf to the milk stage. The best application timing resulted to be at the tassel emission stage for both pathogen control and grain yield. The treatment efficiently controlled disease development on the two hybrids susceptible to NCLB. However, the yield of the tolerant hybrid increased unexpectedly to a comparable extent. The fungicide application led the crop to a significant increase of grain yield (6%) and kernel hardness in both sites, mainly when the environmental conditions led to a gradual grain filling.