Lj. Dutoit et al., EVALUATION OF AN AEROPONICS SYSTEM TO SCREEN MAIZE GENOTYPES FOR RESISTANCE TO FUSARIUM-GRAMINEARUM SEEDLING BLIGHT, Plant disease, 81(2), 1997, pp. 175-179
A noncirculating aeroponics system was evaluated as a method for rapid
screening of maize genotypes for resistance to Fusarium graminearum s
eedling blight/root rot. The system allows for nondestructive, repetit
ive sampling of seedlings for assessing disease progress and seedling
growth. Shoot growth and root rot were assessed at 3-day intervals, an
d final shoot and root dry weight were determined 15 days after inocul
ation. The nine hybrids screened differed in severity of root rot as e
arly as 6 days after inoculation, indicating differences in resistance
to F. graminearum. Inoculation did not always significantly affect sh
oot growth, root dry weight, or shoot dry weight, but differences in t
hese agronomic traits were observed among hybrids. LH119 x LH51 and Pi
oneer Brand 3379 showed the greatest resistance to root rot. Area unde
r-disease progress curve and a critical stage of disease assessment (9
days after inoculation) gave similar rankings of hybrids for root rot
resistance, indicating that a single disease assessment (versus multi
ple assessments) may be adequate in screening for resistance with this
aeroponics system.