Maize pollen stimulated infection of maize by Fusarium graminearum Schwabe both in in vivo and in vitro. Significant increases in percentage germination of macroconidia and length of germ tube of F. graminearum occurred in the presence of pollen dialysate, while dextrose and sucrose were not as stimulatory. All concentrations of macroconidia used to inoculate greenhouse-grown maize plants were equally effective in producing lesions in the leaf axils in the presence of pollen. Without pollen, only the highest inoculum concentration was effective and then only half as many lesions were produced. In a survey of two fields, over 90% of the maize plants had lesions in their leaf axils similar to those induced in greenhouse-grown plants. Reduction in dry weight of detached maize silks inoculated with three different spore concentrations was greater in the presence of pollen than in its absence.
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Naik et al. (1978) studied this question.