Efficacies of Nine Seed Coating Agents for Disease Control and Safety for Fresh Consumption of Maize

  Objective  Efficacies of 9 seed coating agents in controlling the major diseases and pest infestation as well as their application safety for fresh consumption of maize were investigated.

  Method  Nine commercially available seed coating agents (5 were insecticides, and 4 insecticide/fungicide mixtures) were applied on maize to determine their effects on the seed emergence and survival rates, the control on fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) infestation at seedling stage and top/stalk rot disease on the plants, and the crop yield in a field experimentation.

  Result  Other than Haoniandong (a 35.00% carbosulfan WS), none of the 9 agents showed a negative effect on seed emergence or survival rate. The control efficacies of Lumingwei (a 50.00% chlorantraniliprole FS) at 5 g·kg⁻¹ and IPP1 at 25 g·kg⁻¹ on fall armyworm infestation on the maize at seedling stage were 64.15% and 59.40%, respectively. Dingmiaoxin (a mixture of 50.00% chlorantraniliprole FS and 4.23% ipconazole·metalaxy ME) at 5+5 g·kg⁻¹ reduced the top/stalk rot infection rate to 56.07%. On the yield of the plants grown from the treated seeds, the application of Manshijin (a mixture of 50.00% chlorantraniliprole FS and 35g·L⁻¹ metalaxyl-m·fludioxonil FSC) at 5+2 g·kg⁻¹, the mixture of Lumingwei and Kuaimiao at 5+2 g·kg⁻¹ and Dingmiaoxin at 5+5 g·kg⁻¹ increased the grain yields by 5.92%, 2.05% and 6.24%, respectively, and the fresh ear yields by 3.17%, 5.58%, and 3.55%, respectively, over control.

  Conclusion   Among the tested seed coating agents, Dingmiaoxin at the recommended dosage showed a significant efficacy in controlling the major diseases and pest infestation as well as improved crop yield without growth impairment on the maize. It could be applied on maize for fresh consumption cultivated in Fujian.