A bacterium identified as Pantoea ananatis was recently isolated from young lesions of the disease maize white spot from infected plants in the field. This bacterium produced similar symptoms of the disease when inoculated on maize plants in greenhouse. Previous studies carried out by other authors demonstrated that the control of this disease in field conditions has been achieved through the use of fungicides mainly with the Mancozeb in the initial phases of its development. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of isolation of P. ananatis from infected plants in the region of "Londrina, Paraná State" and to reproduce symptoms of the disease through artificial inoculation of maize plants in greenhouse. Using the chemical products tested previously by other authors for the control of this disease in the field, it was also objective of this work to evaluate the potential of these products to inhibit the bacterium, at both in laboratory and in condition of natural infection. The results showed that P. ananatis was successfully isolated from 40% of the young lesions collected in the field and when inoculated in greenhouse (controlled conditions), it reproduced symptoms similar to what was observed in the field. Among the tested chemical products, the fungicide Mancozeb was the best in the control of the disease under field conditions, in agreement with previous reports. This product inhibited completely the bacterium in laboratory, explaining the results found in the field. The others products were not efficient to control the disease and they did not also inhibit the bacterium in laboratory. The results represent additional evidences that the bacterium P. ananatis is the causal agent of the maize white spot disease.
fungicide; Erwinia ananas; chemical control; phaeosphaeria leaf spot
