In a study conducted by the University of the Philippines Los Baños, 12 corn varieties and inbred lines showing resistance to ear rot caused by fusarium have been identified from the screening of 43 white corn lines/populations.
Among these lines or genotypes, three exhibited more resistance than the others. These three will be further tested and could potentially be used as donors in developing resistant varieties of white corn, according to the DA Biotechnology Program, which helped fund the research.
Fusarium ear rot is a common corn disease that is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions. Corn is the second most important crop in the Philippines; it’s estimated that 14 million Filipinos prefer white corn as their main staple.
This same study also resulted in the development and validation of a reliable detection method of fursarium. Using this method, the researchers confirmed that there is a widespread occurrence of the ear rot pathogen in corn growing regions of the Philippines.
This two-year university study, led by Cecilia Pascual and Eureka Teresa Ocampo, was reported in the paper “Fusarium ear rot of maize: Fumonisin-producing Fusarium species and host resistance.”
