HortScience (2011) 46, 1507-1511

George H. Clough, Sarah Blatchford and Philip B. Hamm (2011)
Common smut reduces sweet corn yield and ear processing quality
HortScience 46 (11), 1507-1511
Abstract: The impact of natural infection of Ustilago maydis (causal agent of common smut) on processing characteristics of three F₁ hybrid sweet corn (Zea mays L.) cultivars was evaluated in a 2-year study with early and late spring planting dates. At harvest maturity, size and location of galls were recorded and quality characteristics measured. Galls on the lower stalk, upper stalk, and tassel reduced fresh weight and diameter of husked ears, whereas galls on the base of the stalk reduced fresh weight only. Ear length was reduced by galls on the upper stalk. As gall size increased from 0 to greater than 10.2 cm in diameter, ear fresh weight and diameter decreased. The presence of galls greater than 10.2 cm in diameter reduced ear length. Kernel depth was unaffected by size or location of gall. Additional ears of the same three cultivars were sampled from commercial fields planted in midseason near Walla Walla and Patterson, WA. Galls located on the upper and lower stalk reduced fresh weight, length, and diameter, whereas galls on the base of the stalk reduced fresh weight only. As gall size increased, fresh weight, length, diameter, and kernel depth decreased.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Database assignments for author(s): George H. Clough, Philip B. Hamm

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
damage/losses/economics
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Mycosarcoma maydis	Maize/corn (Zea mays)	U.S.A. (NW)