VIEW ARTICLE

Postharvest Pathology and Mycotoxins

Aflatoxin B₁ Production in an Eight-Line Diallel of Zea mays infected with Aspergillus flavus. M. S. Zuber, Formerly Supervisory Research Agronomist, Cereal Genetics Research Unit, U.S. Department of Agriculture, retired and now Professor of Agronomy, Plant Pathology, University of Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station, Columbia, MO 65201; O. H. Calvert(2), W. F. Kwolek(3), E. B. Lillehoj(4), and M. S. Kang(5). (2)Professor of Plant Pathology, University of Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station, Columbia, MO 65201; (3)(4)Biometrician, Research Microbiologist, Northern Regional Research Center, Federal Research, Science and Education Administration (SEA), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Peoria, IL 61604; (5)Former Graduate Assistant in Agronomy, University of Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station, Columbia, MO 65201, now a Plant Breeder, Cargill Seed Company, St. Peter, MN 56082. Phytopathology 68:1346-1349. Accepted for publication 10 March 1978. Copyright © 1978 The American Phytopathological Society, 3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121. All rights reserved.. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-68-1346.

Wide differences in aflatoxin B₁ produced in corn grain were found among 28 possible single crosses from eight randomly-selected inbred lines used as parents. Ears were artificially inoculated with conidia of Aspergillus flavus. In a diallel analysis of the aflatoxin B₁ data, highly significant general combining ability (GCA) effects were found but the specific combining ability (SCA) effects were found to be nonsignificant. The results suggest that the levels of aflatoxin B₁ observed in corn infected with A. flavus were under genetic control. Lower concentrations of aflatoxin B₁ in grain were associated with the inbred lines H60 and Mo17 and higher levels with Oh545 in crosses with inbred lines N104, N7B, N28, H84, and Mo5. These findings suggest a cyclic selection program should be effective in developing corn lines with resistance to aflatoxin contamination.