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Date Available

5-4-2026

Year of Publication

2026

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

College

Agriculture, Food and Environment

Department/School/Program

Plant Pathology

Faculty

Kiersten Wise

Faculty

Nicole Gautier

Abstract

Corn is a globally important crop used for food, feed, and ethanol production, but often the grain quality is threatened by Diplodia ear rot, caused by Stenocarpella maydis and Stenocarpella macrospora. Effective management of Diplodia ear rot is difficult to achieve. This study evaluated the efficacy of foliar fungicides, including products listed by the Organic Material Research Institute (OMRI), against S. maydis in vitro and in field settings, as well as comparingthe aggressiveness of the two causal pathogens of Diplodia ear rot. The in vitro assays indicated a wide variation in sensitivity of S. maydis to the fungicide active ingredients, with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens MBI Strain 600 completely inhibiting fungal growth, while copper-based compounds did not inhibit growth. Field trials conducted over two years revealed that all treatments reduced the severity of Diplodia ear rot in 2025, compared to the non-treated controls. Stenocarpella maydis was found to be more aggressive than S. macrospora, contrasting with what was found in previous research. Overall, these findings emphasize the differences in fungicide efficacy and species behavior, demonstrating the need for further research to improve Diplodia ear rot management.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2026.265

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