Most readily identified by the red or pink color of the mold starting at ear tip
Mold may be very pale in some cases, causing it to be confused with other ear rots
Gibberella almost always begins at the ear tip and progresses from there
Fusarium is usually scattered throughout the ear or localized on injured kernels
Diplodia usually starts at the base of the ear, is gray rather than pink, and husks may be “bleached”
Early, severely infected ears may rot completely, with husks adhering tightly to the ear and the mold growing between the husks and ear
Perithecia, or black fungal fruiting structures, may be lightly attached to kernel surface