Maize is a host plant for a large number of pathogens, over 50, that invade all of the plant organs from the moment of germination to the moment of harvesting, and cobs and seeds infections continue most of the times during crops storage. Pathogen agents contributes to deterioration and decrease quantity and quality of yield contributes to productions decreasing, both quantitative and qualitatively, with an average percentage of 20 - 25% in our country. The most damaging in quantitative and qualitative point of view are diseases caused by genus Fusarium spp.  The development of these fungi is favored by high temperature and humidity but also of the inoculum source. The objectives of this paper are  establishing the influence of the climatic conditions and the way of testing the Fusarium spp. attack on maize hybrids. In 2009-2011 period at A.R.D.S TURDA was organized a bifactorial trial in three repetitions. The hybrids were tested in natural and artificial infection conditions. The artificial infection with Fusarium spp. suspension was made on grains, by hypodermic method. The inoculation was made on each cob using 4 ml of suspension. This paper aims the virulence of the Fusarium spp. under climate change conditions. Following research we can assert the following conclusions: the temperature and precipitation evolution in all the experimental years have considerable influenced the Fusarium spp. disease; the percentage of diseased seeds and yield were influenced by the testing mode in the climatic conditions of the trial years; in the 2009 – 2011 climatic conditions and the artificial infection condition the tested hybrids yield were less than in natural infection condition; from the  yield point of view, the most favorable year was 2011, in A.R.D.S TURDA condition; the artificial infection with Fusarium spp. suspension caused an increase of protein content and decrease in starch and oil content. The obtained results can be used for a better recommendation for growing hybrids resistant to Fusarium attack.

Fusarium spp., corn hybrds, climatic condition, diseased seeds, yield

Presentation: oral