In summary, significant differences for resistance to Fusarium ear rot and fumonisin accumulation were found among the genotypes evaluated in this study. Several of the inbreds could be used to develop new populations and inbred lines with improved resistance. If a pedigree breeding program was used, evaluations for Fusarium ear rot in a single environment could be done on early generations as this trait appeared stable across environments. This could be followed by evaluations of the selected advanced progenies for disease severity as well as the more costly and time consuming quantification of kernel fumonisin content in several environments. This study also showed that it is not necessary to
transfer resistance from a given kernel color, type or use to another
since acceptable levels of resistance were found in all of the different groups we studied. Finally, to take advantage of the adaptation
and heterosis ofthe heterotic patterns