Cereal Chem 54:770 - 777.  |  VIEW ARTICLE
Aspergillus Flavus Presence in Silks and Insects from Developing and Mature Corn Ears.

D. I. Fennell, W. F. Kwolek, E. B. Lillehoj, G. A. Adams, R. J. Bothast, M. S. Zuber, O. H. Calvert, W. D. Guthrie, A. J. Bockholt, A. Manwiller, and M. D. Jellum. Copyright 1977 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

In efforts to determine the origin of the inoculum responsible for Aspergillus flavus infection of corn before harvest, silks and insects from developing and mature ears of two corn hybrids grown at six locations were examined for the presence of the fungus. Incidence in silks varied by hybrid, location, and state of maturity. A. flavus occurred in at least one silk sample from each location and was encountered more frequently on silks from mature ears than on those from immature ears collected at silking. From 1200 test ears, 3442 insected were collected. Distince interactions were observed between the number and type on insects and the location, hybrid, and sampling time. Insects, grouped in five broad categories, showed a relatively uniform presence of A. flavus ranging from 1.7 to 3.1%. Dissemination of the fungus was not related to the activities of a specific insect. Overall, 52% of A. Flavus isolates from silk and 32% of those from insects produced aflatoxin in a qualitative test. Alatoxin was detected in concentrations ranging from 1 to 61 ppb in mature corn of both hybrids at five of the six locations.