Pathogenicity ofPenicilliato Corn Ears

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Abstract
Isolates [81] of 15 Penicillium spp. were screened for pathogenicity to corn ears. At the full-silk and dent stages, spore suspensions either were injected into the ears at the butt and tip or the silks were sprayed. Injection at full silk was the most effective inoculation procedure. P. oxalicum was pathogenic to corn. It caused lesions of husks, rotted ears, streaked kernels and reduced germination and invaded > 50% of the kernels on ears injected at full silk. P. brevicompactum, P. chrysogenum, P. citrinum, P. cyclopium, P. expansum, P. frequentans, P. funiculosum, P. martensii, P. palitans, P. purpurogenum, P. tardum, P. urticae, P. variabile and P. viridicatum were nonpathogenic. P. funiculosum caused white streaks in the kernel pericarp and invaded > 50% of the kernels on ears injected at full silk, but failed to rot ears or reduce seed viability. The percentage of kernels invaded by the same isolates of 8 Penicillium spp. injected into corn ears at silk 2 yr in succession was not significantly different. Following a 53-day harvest delay, the percentage of kernels invaded by P. brevi-compactum, P. cyclopium and P. viridicatum (storage species) significantly increased. P. oxalicum colonized and occasionally rotted ears that were artificially injured and spray-inoculated at full silk. P. funiculosum colonized, but did not rot ears. Corn from ears injected at full silk with P. funiculosum and P. oxalicum was not toxic when fed ad libitum to mice.

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