DNA-based tools for the detection of Fusarium spp. pathogenic on maize

Pink and red ear rot of maize are common diseases in temperate cropping zones. These diseases are caused by toxigenic fungi belonging to the genus Fusarium. Economic losses flow from both reduced yield (shrivelled grain) and compromised quality (contamination with mycotoxin). Since the aetiology of these diseases is complex, and the taxonomy of the genus Fusarium is fluid, there has been a rapid evolution of PCR-based assays for the detection and quantification of toxigenic Fusarium spp. in biological material, and for their assignment to the correct phylogenetic species. Following a brief overview of the symptoms and epidemiology of ear rots in maize, we discuss the toxigenicity of the causal agents and their taxonomy, and finally survey the range of DNA-based tools available for the detection, identification and quantification of Fusarium spp. pathogenic on maize.