Endophitic infection by toxigenic strain of Fusarium verticillioides on plant development: a comparative study between resistant and susceptible maize hybrids.

ARIAS SL; THEUMER MG; RUBINSTEIN HR.

Mérida-Yucatan, México

Congreso; Phyco & Mycotoxins; 2010

Soc. Latinoamericana de Micotoxicología

In Córdoba, Argentina, corn is one of the most important cereal grainsproduced, being a significant income for regional economy. The fungus Fusarium verticillioides is a pathogen that is associated with disease at all stage of maize (Zea mays L) plant development, including seed rot, damping- off, roots rot, stalk rot and kernel or ear rot and produces fumonisins, food-borne carcinogenic mycotoxin. Consumption maize contaminated with fumonisins has been implicated in a number of animal and human illnesses, including esophageal cancer and neural tube defects. The substantial efforts consist of understand the toxicology of fumonisins as well as the maize-Fusarium pathosistem.

Aim: To investigate the fungal distribution and the time course for expression of disease symptoms in maize seedling infected by fumonisin-producing strain of F. verticillioides.