Vol. 9, Special Issue 11, Part F (2025)

Maize is one of the most important and widely cultivated cereal crops worldwide, known for its adaptability and high productivity potential. Among various diseases that cause significant yield losses, Turcicum leaf blight (TLB), a foliar disease caused by Exserohilum turcicum, can reduce yields by 25% to 90%. The disease affects maize from the seedling stage to maturity. Field screening was conducted under artificial inoculation conditions, and disease severity was recorded using a 1-9 scale. The present study involved screening of short and medium-duration entries against TLB. The screening trials revealed that some genotypes showed resistant and moderately resistant reactions. The resistant genotypes identified in this study could serve as valuable parental sources for resistance breeding programs aimed at developing TLB-tolerant hybrids.