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Morphological, biological, and phylogenetic approaches were undertaken for the identification of pathogenic species F. temperatum in the Serbian population of F. subglutinans collected in the 1999-2010 period from Zea mays (3 root, 15 stalk, and 6 seed samples), Sorghum bicolor (two seed samples), Hordeum vulgare (one seed sample) and Taraxacum officinale (one seed sample). Based on interspecies mating compatibility analyses and the maximum parsimony analysis of EF-1α sequences, only two strains, originating from S. bicolor seed (MRIZP 0418 and MRIZP 0552), were identified as F. temperatum, while the remaining 26 single-spore strains were identified as F. subglutinans Group 2. In situ detached barley leaf assay and artificially stalk and ear inoculation of two maize hybrids demonstrated that both F. temperatum and F. subglutinans strains were medium and strong pathogens under laboratory and field conditions, respectively. These are the first data on the F. temperatum as seed-borne pathogens of sorghum, as well as pathogenicity of F. temperatum strains on maize.

Changes in pest populations occur on a regular basis and can be influenced by various biotic and abiotic factors, including human activites. The objective of this article was to outline several factors that contributed to the population changes in major maize pests over a 50 year period as reported in Serbian literature. Populations of economically important insects, pathogens and weeds were influenced by changes in agronomic practices and introduction of new species. Examples of new pests included: insect species such as western corn rootworm, weed species such as common ragweed and marshelder, and various pathogens including races of Exserohilum turcicum and Bipolaris zeicola. There was also an increase in maize dwarf mosaic virus and barley yellow dwarf virus.