Fusarium ear rot Fusarium ear rot Fusarium ear rot is the most common fungal disease on corn ears. It is caused by several species of Fusarium. Often the decay begins with insect-damaged kernels. Usually it does not involve the whole ear.
Infected kernels are often tan or brown, or have white streaks.
These fungi can produce mycotoxins known as fumonisins. The above image is a JPEG image. If you are using an older browser which does not support inline JPEG images, click the image to see a GIF version . Electronic version published by the Department of Entomology , Iowa State University , Ames, Iowa.