At 14 days after pollination (DAP), the experimental treatments were applied. For inoculated samples, the maize ears were inoculated with 5.0 mL per ear (divided evenlyacross four injection sites) of A. flavus (Strain AF13; ATCC 96044, SRRC 1273) conidial suspension (4.0 ? 10 6 conidia/mL in 0.01% (v/v) Tween 20) directly through husks using a 60.0-mL hypodermic syringe with an 18 gage hypodermic needle. To simulate the physical damage resulting from inoculation, wounded control samples were stabbed with a sterile 18-gage hypodermic needle which was used to wound multiple plants without additional sterilization while having no contact with A. flavus inoculum. Remaining ears in the plot served as non-treated controls. Self-pollinated ears were then collected over a time course from 0 to 18 days after inoculation (DAI).