SCANNING ELECTRON-MICROSCOPY OF FUSARIUM-MONILIFORME WITHIN ASYMPTOMATIC CORN KERNELS AND KERNELS ASSOCIATED WITH EQUINE LEUKOENCEPHALOMALACIA

Fusarium moniliforme, a pathogen of corn, produces a variety of mycotoxins. Scanning electron microscopy was used to determine the association of this fungus with asymptomatic kernels of corn and kernels associated with a specific animal toxicity, equine leukoencephalomalacia. The location of F. moniliforme in all asymptomatic kernels examined was always the pedicel or tip cap end of kernels. These observations suggest that, although it is unknown, the point of entry into asymptomatic kernels by the fungus is probably the same. The fungus was found within the embryo and endosperm in kernels associated with animal toxicity. In some toxic kernels, the fungus had undergone extensive growth and sporulation, producing microconidia that were similar to a known isolate of this species cultured on agar media.