EVALUATION OF ETHIOPIAN MAIZE CULTIVARS FOR RESISTANCE TO FUSARIUM VERTICILLIOIDES AND FUMONISIN ACCUMULATION

The objective of this study was to find sources of resistance to Fusarium ear rot and fumonisin accumulation in maize germplasm. Totally 15 maize cultivars were evaluated by means of silk channel inoculation using a fumonisin producing F. verticillioides isolate in field trials during 2013 and 2014 cropping seasons. Fusarium ear rot severity was determined at harvest, and fumonisin content was quantified using competitive Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). The percentage of infected kernels per maize ear after inoculation, ranged from 5% to 60% in 2013 and from 3% to 40% in 2014. Fumonisin accumulation in maize cultivars ranged from 2700 to 76300 µg/kg in 2013 and from 1800 to 52700 µg/kg in 2014. Maize cultivars Berihu, Melkassa-2, Melkassa-7, Melkassa-4, BHQP542 and MHQ-138 showed low level of ear rot (3.9% to 22.9%) and total fumonisins (2300 to 17300 µg/kg) across the two years experiment. Cultivars that had low disease severity are useful in breeding programs aiming at developing cultivars resistance to fumonisin accumulation.