We determined the effects of the timing of F. verticillioides
inoculation, U. maydis genotypes, and F. verticillioides
strains on the response variables of smut disease severity at
DAP 19 and plant mortality at DAP 40. Results of the threeway
ANOVA showed significant main effects of F. verticillioides
inoculation treatment and of U. maydis diploid genotype
but not of F. verticillioides strain (Table 1). In addition,
bench, the block factor, affected plant mortality but not
disease severity. No interaction effects were significant.
Evaluating the proportion of severely diseased plants provided
an accurate gauge of damage to the plant as linear
regression revealed a strong correlation between the disease
severity at DAP 19 and the plant mortality at DAP 40
(r2 = 0.89, Po0.001, Fig. 1).