Fusarium Rot of Maize: Morphological and Molecular Characterization

Fusarium species are among fungal pathogens of maize. Six Fusarium species isolated from diseased plants were tested for secreting cell wall degrading enzymes and mycotoxins in vitro and in vivo. F. verticillioides and F. proliferatunm were the most aggressive Fusarium species for all growth parameters and disease severity index. Enzymatic index of F. verticillioides was the dominant for enzyme activity. Fumonisin B1, fumonisin B2, moniliformin and beauvercin were the four common mycotoxins produced by Fusarium species. In vivo studies of FUM and EG genes of F. verticillioides illustrated that fumonisin and endoglucanase were secreted after 24 and 12 hours of inoculation. SEM observations showed that penetration process were around 12 hours of inoculation while fumonisin was secreted after 60 hours of inoculation.