Comparison of Kernel Wax from Corn Genotypes Resistant or Susceptible to Aspergillus flavus.

ABSTRACT Russin, J. S., Guo, B. Z., Tubajika, K. M., Brown, R. L., Cleveland, T. E., and Widstrom, N. W. 1997. Comparison of kernel wax from corn genotypes resistant or susceptible to Aspergillus flavus. Phytopathology 87: 529-533.Kernels of corn genotype GT-MAS: gk are resistant to Aspergillus flavus. Earlier studies showed that this resistance is due in part to kernel pericarp wax. Experiments were conducted to compare wax from GTMAS: gk kernels with that from kernels of several susceptible commercial hybrids. GT-MAS: gk had more pericarp wax than did the susceptible hybrids. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that GT-MAS: gk kernels appeared rough and showed abundant wax deposits on kernel surfaces. Susceptible kernels appeared much more smooth and lacked the abundant surface deposits observed in GT-MAS: gk. In vitro bioassays showed that kernel wax from GT-MAS: gk reduced A. flavus colony diameter by 35%. Colony diameters on a medium amended with wax from susceptible kernels did not differ from tho...