Maize Lethal Necrosis Disease (MLND) or Corn Lethal Necrosis (CLN)

Caused by: Maize Chlorotic Mottle Virus (MCMoV) + Sugarcane Mosaic Virus (SCMV)/ Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus (WSMV)/Maize Dwarf Mosaic Virus (MDMV)
Problem Category: Viral Disease
Symptoms: The disease occurs at all stages of crop. The main symptoms includes appearance of chlorotic mottling on leaves which starts from base and extends upwards. Also the leaves shows necrosis at margins which later extends to mid rib and results in drying of entire leaf. The necrosis of young leaves in the whorl causes dead heart symptom. Other symptoms are premature plant death, shortened male inflorescences with few spikes, and/or shortened, malformed, partially filled ears.
Comments: The virus mainly spread by vectors (maize thrips, aphids, rootworms and leaf beetles) and infected seeds. The first report of this disease in Africa continent was in Kenya (2011). And later the disease spreads to other countries like Tanzania, Uganda and South Sudan.
Management: Use healthy, disease free certified seeds. Keep the fields free from weeds. Remove the infected plants and burn them. Follow crop rotation with non cereals at least for two seasons. Plant maize only in main rainy season instead of short rainy season. Grow available resistant varieties.
Control: spray 5% neem solution