Abstract:

Teliospores of Sphacelotheca reiliana could germinate very well at 22℃ and between 20％～25％soil humidity with germinating maize seed, however, they could not without the seed. In 2007 and 2008, 302 new maize varieties from Yunnan Province were identified for their head smut resistance by the inoculation with soil carrying 1% teliospore in two disease nurseries. Among them, 65, 118, 27, 86 and 6 varieties were highly resistant, resistant, moderately resistant, susceptible and highly susceptible to the disease with 21.45%, 38.94%, 8.91%, 28.38% and 1.98%, respectively. It was suggested that only should the resistant and highly resistant varieties be extended in severe disease areas based on the coincidence of incidence with loss rate.