> Does anyone know if corn borers are toxic or otherwise a health hazard? Or, besides raising the protein content of the corn minutely, is their only damage aesthetic (admittedly a major effect when faced by squeamish consumers)?
>
> BOB
One of the biggest problems is the potential "infection court" that is created by corn borer feeding. Plant parasitic fungi (and saprophytic fungi for that matter) would have an easier time infecting (or infesting) the corn. Some
fungi can produce powerful mycotoxins (Fusarium spp., Aspergillus spp.). There may also be desiccation of the ear. . . But I think the increased potential for fungal infestation/infection is the biggest thing. . . Russ
-- Russ Bulluck Ph.D. Candidate Department of Plant Pathology North Carolina State University PO Box 7616 Raleigh, NC 27695-7616http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/plantpath/Personnel/Students/webpage.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The soil population is so complex that it manifestly cannot be dealt with as a whole with any detail by any one person, and at the same time it plays so important a part in the soil economy that it must be studied. --Sir E. John Russell The Micro-organisms of the Soil, 1923 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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