Multiple Disease Resistant Maize Inbreds.

Two maize (Zea mays L.) sister inbreds were developed and selected for gray leaf spot (Cercospora zeae-maydis and C. zeina) resistance in a disease hot spot in Virginia.  These inbreds are highly resistant to gray leaf spot, both per se and in testcrosses to a susceptible tester (B73).  Further evaluation has revealed that they also carry reasonable degrees of resistance to northern leaf blight (Exserohilum turcicum), southern corn leaf blight (Bipolaris maydis), common rust (Puccinia sorghi), anthracnose leaf blight and anthracnose stalk rot (Colletotrichum graminicola), and Stewart’s wilt (Erwinia stewartii).  One of the inbreds is much more susceptible to fusarium ear rot than the other.  Generation means and other studies to elucidate the genetic nature of multiple disease resistance in these inbreds will be presented.