Escala diagramática para avaliação da severidade da mancha ocular em milho causada por Kabatiella zeae

Abstract

The objective of this research was to develop a diagrammatic scale to assess the severity of Eyespot, caused by Kabatiella zeae in corn leaves, considering the limits for minimum and maximum severity of the disease, as well as intermediate levels. The levels observed in the field followed logarithmic increments, obeying "Weber-Fechner's Stimulus-Response Law", representing: 0.9; 2.0; 4.0; 9.0; 18.0; 32.0; and 51.0% injured leaf area. Scale validation consisted of two steps: in the first, 10 evaluators, experienced in the evaluation of diseases, evaluated 30 leaves with different levels of severity, with or without using the diagrammatic scale. In the second to evaluate, 10 other evaluators, without experience in the evaluation of diseases, performed the same evaluation, with or without using the diagrammatic scale. By linear regression, actual and estimated severity values were compared, and evaluator accuracy and precision was assessed. There was an improvement in the accuracy and precision of estimates made using the diagrammatic scale as a visual aid. The diagrammatic scale proposed was considered appropriate to estimate the severity of corn eyespot and can be used in epidemiological studies, to evaluate the reaction of genotypes to the disease, and to improve control strategies against the disease.