Since natural infection cannot guarantee sufficient and homogeneous inoculum levels to adequately differentiate genotypicvariation in resistance to F. verticillioidess (Mesterhazy et al., 2012),we inoculated the plants using a kernel inoculation technique.It has been previously shown that with kernel inoculations the probability of identifying hybrids as resistant when they are actually susceptible in environments that favor fumonisin accumulation is low; although kernel inoculation may overcome low levels of natural resistance, such as that provided by tight husks (Kleinschmidt-DeMasters, 2009).In each row (genotype), approximately seven to 14 days after silking, all primary ears wereinoculated with 2 ml of a spore suspension of F. verticillioides. Each genotype was inoculated according to its singular flowering date.