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Fusarium
Ear Rot
is the most common fungal disease on corn ears. It is caused by
several species of Fusarium. Symptoms of Fusarium ear rots are a white to pink-
or salmon-colored mold, beginning anywhere on the ear or scattered throughout.
Often the decay begins with insect-damaged kernels. Usually it does not involve
the whole ear. Infected kernels are often tan or brown, or have white streaks.
These fungi can produce mycotoxins known as fumonisins.
Fusarium
Stalk Rot is very common in corn fields of the midwest. Corn plants with
Fusarium stalk rot exhibit rotting of the roots, plant base, and lower
internodes. The rot normally begins soon after pollination and becomes more
severe as the plant matures. The lower stem becomes soft and eventually
collapses. The pith inside the stems becomes tan to pink and disintegrates,
leaving the vascular strands intact. The
fungus is ubiquitous in a corn field and colonizes the surfaces of all corn
tissue but does no damage until the plants are near maturity. Stress and injury
to plants seem to favor infection.
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