In the last decade, the acreage of maize has increased continuously in Central Europe due to its high yield and diverse uses as food, feed and bio-energy. This has led to more intense maize cultivation in many regions with narrowed crop rotations and it is therefore likely that maize diseases will become more significant in the future. Nevertheless, the knowledge about the occurrence and significance of fungal pathogens and their epidemic development in maize fields in Central Europe is still scarce. The study aims to review the phytosanitary state of maize crops in Central Europe, focusing on fungal leaf diseases like Exserohilum turcicum & Kabatiella zeae and their epidemiology, as well as on the identification and distribution of less known pathogenic species such as Phoma spp. Bipolaris zeicola and Colletotrichum graminicola. To this end, a qualitative monitoring was carried out in different Central European regions through the collection and subsequent analysis of leaf samples. In regions with a higher disease pressure, the correlation between favourable weather conditions, development of the disease and seasonal fluctuations in inoculum was analysed for the main pathogens in order to gain more in-depth knowledge on the dynamic of these diseases in the field. Furthermore the importance of the different pathogens and related yield losses was studied. Finally, studies were conducted to provide insight into whether fungicide application is necessary and how to determine the optimal timing of application.
