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Maize ear rot incidence and associated mycotoxin contamination in Uganda G. Bigirwa, G. Sseruwu, E. Adipala, E.N. Kaaya, J.S. Okanya Maize ear rot appears to be on the increase in several districts of Uganda. Certain improved and high-yielding maize varieties have been rejected because of their susceptibility to ear rot. In an attempt to address the problem, surveys were carried out when the crop was nearing harvesting for three consecutive seasons—first and second season of 2002 and first season 2003—to quantify the magnitude of the problem and identify associated mycotoxins. Results from 10 major maize-growing districts showed that Sternocarpella maydis and Fusarium species, particularly F. graminearum and F. verticillioides, were dominant. Incidence of S. maydis ranged from 3.2 to 32.5% while that of Fusarium spp. was in the range of 1.9 to 15.3%. In Kapchorwa and Sironko, which are high-altitude districts (above 1800 m), F. graminaerium dominated in all seasons while in districts at an altitude between 900 and 1500 m, S. maydis was the major cause of ear rot. Samples from all districts had various levels of aflatoxin. Of the asymptomatic samples analysed, 75% tested positive for aflatoxin but with low levels of 0–5 ppb while all infected samples tested positive with a range of 10–36 ppb. |