The effect of seed treatment with different fungicides in controlling Fusarium diseases of corn

In order to evaluate the effectiveness of chemical control in the management of Fusarium diseases of corn, the present study was conducted using eight fungicides including Carboxin-Tiram (Vitavax -Tiram, 75% WP) as reference fungicide, Difenoconazole (Dividend DS 3%), Tebuconazole (Raxil DS 2%), Azoxy-strobin + Difenoconazole (Ortiva Top SC 32.5%), Trifloxystrobin (Flint WG50%), Protioconazole + Tebuconazole (Lamardur FS40%), Fludioxonyl + Metallaxyl M (Maxim XL FS) and Azoxystrobin + Metalaxyl M (Uniform SE 44.6 %) in three phases: laboratory, growth chamber and field. According to the results, all fungicides used in this research showed significant performance and effectiveness in control of Fusarium corn diseases compared to check in most of the traits evaluated, and application of them recommended as seed treatment before planting. In laboratory, Maxim and Raxil were considered as the most effective fungicides comparing the reference fungicide, Carboxin-Tiram. The most effective fungicides in growth chamber were Maxim, Lamardor, Ortivatop and Dividend, each of which showed higher efficiency than the reference fungicide in one or more traits. In field investigations in Golestan province, Maxim, Uniform and Ortivatop (with 93.9, 91.4 and 88.2% of check, respectively), in Ardabil province Maxim and Lamardor (with 51.5 and 41.7 % of check, respectively) and in Mazandaran province, Lamardor and Raxil (with 54.4% and 43.5% of check, respectively) were more effective compared with the infected control and showed better efficiency than the reference fungicide in most traits.