Reactions of Processing Sweet Corn Hybrids to Gibberella Ear Rot

Gibberella ear rot has increased in prevalence recently on late-season processing sweet corn grown in the Midwestern United States. Little information is available about the reactions of hybrids currently grown for processing. A total of 52 processing hybrids were evaluated in 1996 and 1997 for reactions to Gibberella zeae following one of two methods of inoculation: inserting an infested toothpick or injecting a spore suspension in the silk channel 7 days after the mid-silk growth stage. Ratings of ear rot severity ranged from 2.4 to 8 on a scale of 1 to 9. Severity of ear rot differed among hybrids, but none of the hybrids was highly resistant, nor did the hybrids display a great degree of variation for reaction to G. zeae. Severity of ear rot was consistently lower for cvs. Sprint and HMX 5372 than for the other hybrids. Ear rot ratings also were lower for cvs. GH 1834 and GH 2690 in three of four comparisons. Severity of ear rot was consistently higher for cv. GH 2628 in all comparisons and for cvs. Empire, Excalibur, GG 42, GH 1861, Jubilee, Rival, and WSS 3680 in three of four comparisons. Ranks of some hybrids changed between inoculation methods, years, or both, but most hybrids were ranked similarly in at least three of four comparisons. Coefficients of variation were approximately 5% higher for the injection method of inoculation in 1996 than for the other trials. The toothpick method of inoculation required less labor and ranked hybrids as consistently or more consistently than the injection method.