Maize diseases and pests of field ecosystems under different structures on dryland red soil

Maize diseases and pests of field ecosystems under different structures on dryland red soil are studied. The results show that intercropping and interplanting can reduce the invasion risk of maize pathogens and pests. The disease incidences and disease indexes of Rhizoctonia solani and Bipolaris maydis in late maize-mung bean intercropping system are lower than those of monocultured maize systems. Rhopalosiphum maidis, Ostrinia farnalis, Euborellia pallipes and Haptonchus luteotus are the main maize pests in the middle and late growing periods. Especially,Rhopalosiphum maidis, Ostrinia far nalis andHaptonchus luteotus injure the ears of maize, which could greatly reduce its yield. There are less species and quantities of maize pests in “canola‖Chinese milk vetch/maize/maize‖mung bean” system than other cropping systems and its injury percentage of major pests is low. Thus this system is suitable to be extended in dryland red soil.