Roles of Ear Injury, Infestation, and Vector Activity by (Asian Corn Borer) and (Yellow Peach Moth) in Infection and Kernel Fumonisin Level.

Field experiments were conducted to evaluate the roles of two corn borers, Asian corn borer (ACB), and yellow peach moth (YPM), in infection using green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a marker. Effects of insect injury, manual injury, and insecticide application on fumonisin production also were assessed. In this study, third instars of ACB and YPM significantly increased GFP-tagged infection compared with the control, regardless of the fungal inoculation method. Besides acquiring spores from leaf surfaces and transmitting them to ears, larvae of the ACB and YPM also injure maize ears, which allows from leaves or silk to infect ears more easily. This suggests that ACB and YPM larvae are vectors of s, which can increase the occurrence of ear rot. Manual injuries significantly increased GFP-tagged infection of ears, while effective insect control significantly reduced infection of ears. Insecticide control of borers also significantly reduced fumonisin content in kernels. Larval infestations significantly increased fumonisins in kernels to levels higher than or very close to the European Union threshold (4,000 μg kg). Significant and high correlations among corn borer attack, severity, and kernel fumonisin levels were discovered, confirming the important role of ACB and YPM activity in infection and kernel fumonisin production.