The characteristics and inheritance of maize silk resistance to Fusarium graminearum ear rot were investigated. In an in vitro test, genotypic differences in the degradation of detached silk tissue by F. graminearum were correlated to field evaluations of resistance. Susceptibility to infection decreased with silk age. Total phenolics of silk channel silk tissue increased in response to infection in resistant inbreds but decreased in susceptible inbreds. The flavones iso-orientin, iso-vitexin, maysin, luteolin, and apigenin were identified in the silk. No significant genotype by isolate interaction effects were found when 13 inbred lines were inoculated with three F. graminearum isolates. Simple models of quantitative and qualitative inheritance were not adequate to explain the inheritance of resistance. Disease severity ratings were bimodally distributed in the F$ sb1$, F$ sb2$, and backcross generations. In a complete diallel cross among 12 inbred lines, general and specific combining ability effects were significant for both disease incidence and disease severity. A screening of 12 accessions of exotic maize germplasm with resistance to either Aspergillus flavus or Heliothis zeae, identified several possible new sources of resistance to F. graminearum. Visual evaluations of resistance were correlated to deoxynivalenol levels of the ear.
Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.70316 |
Date | January 1991 |
Creators | Reid, Lana M. (Lana Marie) |
Publisher | McGill University |
Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
Language | English |
Detected Language | English |
Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
Format | application/pdf |
Coverage | Doctor of Philosophy (Department of Plant Science.) |
Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
Relation | alephsysno: 001276584, proquestno: AAINN74778, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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