Study of corn reddening in Banat

Abstract

Corn reddening was observed for the first time in Serbia in 1957. After that, it occurred periodically, mainly in the region of Banat. In 2002 and 2003, severe corn reddening occurred in late July / early August. Initial symptoms were the occurrence of a red-violet color on the leaves, leaf sheaths, husks and the bare portion of internodes. The symptoms typically appeared at the milk stage of grain maturity, and the discoloration was the most intensive at top leaves, around the main vein and along the edges, from leaf base to tip. Soon after the occurrence of the symptoms, the affected plants wilted, the foliage dried rapidly, the red pigmentation disappeared for a greater part and finally plant died off. The ears were underdeveloped and gummous and kernels were shriveled and unfilled. Clashing opinions are still exists on what is the main cause of corn reddening.

Crvenilo kukuruza je u Srbiji prvi put registrovano 1957. godine. Nakon toga, javljalo se periodično uglavnom u regionu Banata. Tokom 2002. i 2003. godine crvenilo kukuruza se pojavilo u jakom intenzitetu krajem jula, početkom avgusta. Inicijalni simptomi bili su pojava crveno-ljubičaste boje listova, lisnih rukavaca, ovojnih listova klipa i otkrivenih delova internodija. Simptomi su se uglavnom javljali u fazi mlečne zrelosti s tim da je najintenzivnija pojava crvene boje bila na gornjim listovima, oko glavnog nerva i uzduž ivica listova od osnove prema vrhu. Nakon pojave prvih simptoma, biljke su ubrzo počinjale da venu, lisna masa da se suši, crvena pigmentacija nestaje i konačno biljke su uginjavale. Klipovi biljaka zahvaćenih crvenilom su bili nerazvijeni, gumozni sa smežuranim i nenalivenim zrnom. Još uvek postoje oprečna mišljenja o tome šta je glavni prouzrokovač crvenila.