Abstract
Damage of maize caused by downy mildew disease was studied in fields infecteds with Sclerospora maydis at the Central Research Institute for Agriculture in Indonesia. Two cultivars, Bogor composite 2 and Permadi were used. Plant height, culm diameter, length and width of leafblades were compared between healthy and infected plants. Percentage of infection and plant growth after infection were also examined.
Plant height and culm diameter of diseased plants were lower than those of normal plants and these differences were markedly increased as plants grew. The difference also involved the length and width of leaf blades.
The half of diseased plant which shows the systemic symptom died at the early growing stages, while the other were able to continue to grow but their female ears did not produce kernels. Consequently, the epidemic infection results in poor yield of maize.
