VIEW ARTICLE

Resistance

Genotypic Differences in Maize to Kernel Infection by Fusarium moniliforme. S. B. King, Research plant pathologist, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State 39762; G. E. Scott, research agronomist, Department of Plant Pathology and Weed Science and Department of Agronomy, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State 39762. Phytopathology 71:1245-1247. Accepted for publication 23 March 1981. This article is in the public domain and not copyrightable. It may be freely reprinted with customary crediting of the source. The American Phytopathological Society, 1981. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-71-1245.

Maize kernels produced by 84 commercial hybrids, six inbreds, and the 15 possible crosses among these inbreds were assayed for percentage of asymptomatic kernels infected by Fusarium moniliforme. Infection levels among commercial hybrids ranged from 5–89%. Consistently low or high infection was associated with some hybrids in all 3 yr of testing. Infection of inbreds and of their hybrids were 19–79 and 5–60%, respectively. Crosses between two resistant (R) parents had 11% average infection compared with 55% for crosses between two susceptible (S) parents. R × S crosses averaged 33% infection. The results demonstrate that maize genotypes differ significantly in percentage of healthy-appearing kernels that harbor F. moniliforme and that these differences are under genetic control.