Maternal Influence on the Resistance of Sweet Corn Lines to Kernel Infection byFusarium moniliforme

Sweet corn inbred lines resistant and susceptible to kernel infection by Fusarium moniliforme were hand pollinated to produce parental, F 1 , F 2 , F 3 , and backcross generations with reciprocals to examine maternal effects on resistance. Silks of half of the hand-pollinated plants in each generation were inoculated with F. moniliforme. Incidence of symptomatic and asymptomatic infection of kernels by F. moniliforme was determined from inoculated and uninoculated ears. Factors operative in maternal tissues had a strong influence on the response of sweet corn lines to kernel infection by F. moniliforme and were not influenced by the cytoplasm, endosperm, or embryo (...)