VIEW ARTICLE

Saprophytism and Survival of Fusarium moniliforme in Corn Stalks. Robert F. Nyvall, Washington State University, Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Unit, Mount Vernon, Washington 98273 (formerly at the University of Minnesota); Thor Kommedahl, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul 55101. Phytopathology 60:1233-1235. Accepted for publication 20 March 1970. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-60-1233.

Survival of Fusarium moniliforme within infected corn stalks was tested by placing corn fragments at different soil depths, soil moistures, and soil temp. Fusarium moniliforme survived best in corn fragments buried 30 cm deep, at 5-35% soil moisture content, and 5-10 C soil temp. It was recovered from corn tissues that decomposed the least, namely, parenchyma and sclerenchyma adjacent to stalk epidermis, and to vascular tissues in nodes, internodes, and leaves. Survival was low in roots and small host fragments.