Author
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Yates, Ida |
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SPARKS, DARRELL - HORT., UGA, ATHENS, GA |
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Submitted to: Phytopathology
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2006 Publication Date: 7/29/2006 Citation: Yates, I.E., Sparks, D. 2006. Fusarium verticillioides dissemination among corn ears of field-grown plants [abstract]. Phytopathology 96:S128. Interpretive Summary: Abstract -American Phytopathological Society - no interpretive summary required. Technical Abstract: The consequences of Fusarium verticillioides colonization of kernels of corn, Zea mays L., may be plant disease and/or mycotoxin production. Plant disease results in reduced crop production and mycotoxins, in harmful, and often fatal, effects on humans and animals. The fungus grows as an endophyte within the corn plant without producing toxins or causing disease until external factors, such as pests or other plant stress conditions intervene. Understanding the dynamics between the corn plant and F. verticillioides during this metamorphic relationship is essential to developing strategies that prevent diseases and eliminate mycotoxins from our food chain. The purpose of the current research was to analyze the field dissemination of F. verticillioides from ears inoculated with F. verticillioides RRC PATg, a transformant with a selection gene, hph, for hygromycin resistance (hygr) and a reporter gene, gusA, coding for ß-glucuronidase (GUS). Corn ears were inoculated through either the shuck or the silk channel at two stages of development, green silks versus brown silks. Kernels from inoculated ears tested 67% positive for hph and of these 96% tested positive gusA. Kernels from non-inoculated ears on plants growing adjacent plants with inoculated ears only 2% tested and none of these tested positive for gusA. Thus, of F. verticillioides was not disseminated from plant to plant under field conditions existing in Georgia during the growing seasons of 2001, 2002, and 2003. |
