Disease occurrence and environment-friendly disease control with crop–livestock integration in seed-corn production in the Hexi Corridor

Recently, continuous cropping and cultivation using water and excessive chemical fertilizers have led to several issues, such as increases in the number of disease-causing pathogens in the fields and in disease types, causing serious harm to corn seed production in the Hexi Corridor. We analyzed the characteristics responsible for their occurrence, the causes and problems of these diseases, summarized previous research, and investigated the construction of seed corn production base in the Hexi Corridor. In addition, an environmentally friendly approach to control diseases in seed production in maize was proposed by combining agriculture and animal feeding in several ways: 1) The integrated development of seed corn production and herbivore feeding provides organic fertilizer sources, increases the application of decomposed organic fertilizers in the field, and can also increase antagonistic microorganisms, thereby reducing the application of chemical fertilizers, and cultivation of healthy soil. 2) The corn can be harvested earlier and the livestock silage can also be used efficiently, which reduces the amount of residues left in the field and prevents the infection due to bacteria. In the key steps of seed production, such as detasseling and harvesting, mechanization and straw recovery silage can be implemented to save cost and improve efficiency, thereby reducing the spread of germs due to field farming operations. 3) During the growing period of corn, the integrated supporting technology of water and fertilizers should be widely promoted to save water and fertilizers under the film drip irrigation, thereby improving the microclimate of farmland, and reducing the spread and occurrence of these diseases. 4) To accelerate the construction of high-standard seed production farmlands, proper deep ploughing and sterilization, crop rotation and stubble rotation, improved soil properties and farming conditions, and reduced continuous cropping obstacles are required. In addition, to strengthen the prevention of farming and cultivation by promoting the sustainable and environmentally friendly development of the integration of the Hexi seed corn production industry, grass and animal feeding should be comprehensively implemented.