Abstract
Sources of resistance to Fusarium spp. are needed to develop maize hybrids resistant to the accumulation of fungal mycotoxins in the grain. In a search for resistant germplasm in 1999 and 2000, a set of Argentinian maize populations was evaluated in Ottawa, Canada, for resistance to ear rots after inoculation with local isolates of Fusarium verticillioides and F. graminearum. Sixteen of these populations, varying in observed resistance levels, were re-evaluated in 2003 and 2004 in Pergamino, Argentina, using local isolates of the same fungi. Conidial suspensions of each fungal species were inoculated into the silk channel of primary ears. Disease severity was assessed after physiological maturity using a scale based on the percentage of visibly infected kernels. Genotype effect was more important than genotype-by-fungal species or genotype-by-fungal species-by-environment interaction effects. In addition, disease severity levels associated with each fungal species were positively correlated (P < 0.05) (r = 0.90, r = 0.81, r = 0.87 and r = 0.53, in Ottawa 1999 and 2000, and Pergamino 2003 and 2004, respectively). Populations ARZM 01107, ARZM 07138, ARZM 10041, ARZM 13031, ARZM 16002 and Pora INTA exhibited the highest and most stable resistance to both species. Considering that disease resistance exhibited low specificity to the environment and to the fungal species in evaluations conducted in a wide range of environments and with fungal isolates collected from different hemispheres, the most resistant populations are potential sources of genes for stable resistance to these Fusarium spp.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Al-Heeti, A.A., 1987. Pathological, toxicological and biological evaluations of Fusarium species associated with ear rot of maize. PhD. thesis, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Univ. Microfilms Int. Diss. Inf. Serv. 8727220.
Campbell, C.L. & L.V. Madden, 1990. Introduction to plant epidemiology. Wiley-Interscience. New York. 532 pp.
Chungu, C., D.E. Mather, L.M. Reid & R. I. Hamilton, 1996. Inheritance of kernel resistance to Fusarium graminearum in maize. J Hered 87: 382–385.
Chungu, C., D.E. Mather, L.M. Reid & R.I. Hamilton, 1997. Assessment of ear rot symptoms development in maize hybrids inoculated with Fusarium graminearum. Can J Plant Pathol 19: 390–396.
Clements, M.J., C.E. Kleinschmidt, C.E. Maragos, J.K. Pataky & D.G. White, 2003. Evaluation of inoculation techniques for Fusarium ear rot and fumonisin contamination of corn. Plant Dis 87: 147–153.
Desjardins, A.E., R.D. Plattner, M. Lu & L.E. Claflin, 1998. Distribution of fumonisins in maize ears infected with strains of Fusarium moniliforme that differ in fumonisin production. Plant Dis 82: 953–958.
Gendloff, E.H., E.C. Rossman, W.L. Casale, T.G. Isleib & L.P. Hart, 1986. Components of resistance to fusarium ear rot in field corn. Phytopathology 76: 684–688.
Hesseltine, C.W. & Bothast, R.J. 1977. Mold development in ears of corn from tasseling to harvest. Mycologia 69: 328–340.
Marasas, W.F.O., T.S. Kellerman, W.C.A. Gelderblom, J.A.W. Coetzer, P.G. Thiel, & J.J. Van der Lugt, 1988. Leukoencephalomalacia in a horse induced by fumonisin B1, isolated from Fusarium moniliforme. Onderstepoort J Vet Res 55: 197–203.
Munkvold, G.P., Hellmich, R.L., Showers & W.B. 1997. Reduced fusarium ear rot and symptomless infection in kernels of maize genetically engineered for European corn borer resistance. Phytopathology 87: 1071–1077.
Prelusky, D.B., B.A. Rotter & R.G. Rotter, 1994. Toxicology of mycotoxins. In: J.D. Miller & H.L. Trenholm (Eds.), Mycotoxins in Grains. Compounds Other than Aflatoxin, pp. 359–403. Eagan Press, St. Paul, MN, USA.
Presello, D.A., L.M. Reid & D.E. Mather, 2004. Resistance of Argentine maize germplasm to gibberella and fusarium ear rots. Maydica 49: 83–91.
Reid, L. M., R.I. Hamilton & D.E. Mather, 1996a. Screening maize for resistance to gibberella ear rot. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, ON. Tech Bull Publ 1996-5E.
Reid, L.M., R.I. Hamilton, D.E. Mather & A.T. Bolton, 1996b. Distribution of deoxynivalenol in Fusarium graminearum-infected maize ears. Phytopathology 86: 110–114.
Reid, L.M., R.W. Nicol, T. Ouellet, M.E. Savard, J.D. Miller, J.C. Young, J.C., D.W. Stewart & A.W. Schaafsma, 1999. Interaction of Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium moniliforme in maize ears: disease progress, fungal biomass and mycotoxin accumulation. Phytopathol 89: 1028–1037.
Reid, L.M., D.W. Stewart & R.I. Hamilton, 1996c. A 4-year study of the association between gibberella ear rot severity and deoxynivalenol concentration. J Phytopathol 144: 431–436.
Reza Hoshmand, A., 1994. Experimental research design and analysis. A practical approach for agricultural and natural sciences. CRC Press Inc. Boca Raton. pp. 15–41.
SAS Institute Inc., 1999. SAS/STAT User´s Guide, Version 8, Vol. 1, Cary, NC: Sas Institute Inc.
Saubois, A., M.C. Nepote & E. Piontelli, 1996. Regional distribution of Fusarium strains in corn from the Province of Santa Fe, Argentina. Boletín Micológico 11: 75–80.
Vargas Hernández, M. & J. Crossa, 2000. The AMMI analysis and graphing the biplot. CIMMYT, INT. México D.F. México.
Vigier, B., L.M. Reid, L.M. Dwyer, D.W. Stewart, R.C. Sinha, J.T. Arnason & G. Butler, 2001. Maize resistance to gibberella ear rot: Symptoms, deoxynivalenol and yield. Can J Plant Pathol 123: 99–105.
Zobel, R.W., M.J. Wright & H.G. Gauch Jr., 1988. Statistical analysis of a yield trial. Agron. J. 80: 388–393.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Presello, D.A., Iglesias, J., Botta, G. et al. Stability of maize resistance to the ear rots caused by Fusarium graminearum and F. verticillioides in Argentinian and Canadian environments. Euphytica 147, 403–407 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-005-9037-8
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-005-9037-8