**3. The effect of climate change on change in disease pattern scenario**

Climate change modify characteristics of the pathogen, the environment, and the host, which can then drive the emergence of novel, uncommon, or adapted pathogen species, as a result there is a major shift in disease pattern during the past years as major diseases like Pythium stalk rot and bacterial stalk rots, which are gradually becoming diseases of lesser economic importance due to change in climate availability and use of sources of resistance in the development of new hybrids and varieties. However disease like Turcicum leaf blight used to occur in temperate region, now it is very common in tropics where winter maize is popular like Bihar, eastern UP, Karnataka etc., where low temperature in cropping season is favorable for the fungus. The disease of minor importance became increasingly severe and speculated epidemic proportion in coming years. In early 1960s the diseases like banded leaf and sheath blight, Polysora rust and pre harvest cob rots were considered as a disease of minor importance, however with the passes of time and changing weather condition, these diseases being arisen as major diseases not only in India but other maize growing countries of Asian region.
