Aflatoxin Accumulation in Developing Kernels of Eight Maize Single Crosses After Inoculation with Aspergillus flavus. D. L. Thompson, Research Agronomist, USDA, ARS, Department of Crop Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27650. J. O. Rawlings, Professor, Department of Statistics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27650; M. S. Zuber, Professor Emeritus, Department of Agronomy, University of Missouri, Columbia 65201; G. A. Payne, Assistant Professor, Department of Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27650; and E. B. Lillehoj, Research Microbiologist, SRRC, USDA, ARS, New Orleans, LA 70179. Plant Dis. 68:465-467. Accepted for publication 12 December 1983. 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, 1984. DOI: 10.1094/PD-68-465.

Developing kernels of eight maize single crosses (Zea mays) were inoculated with Aspergillus flavus in four environments and assayed for aflatoxin. The eight crosses were from two A-inbreds crossed with four B-inbreds, as labeled for convenience. The two A-inbreds were about 88% related and there was little difference between their aflatoxin means. Two of the B-inbreds averaged 22, 168 and 17,915 ppb and had significantly less aflatoxin than the other two B-inbreds, which averaged 40,011 and 32,006 ppb. This study indicated that resistance to the accumulation of aflatoxin in developing kernels was under genetic control, that differences between duplicate assays were small, that variability among ears per plot was large, and that the greatest contribution to stable and economical estimates would come by increasing the number of replicates and keeping the number of ears to a low level of about five ears per plot.

Keyword(s): corn, mycotoxin.