Pink Ear Rot (PER) and Red Ear Rot (RER) are common fungal diseases of maize mainly caused by
Fusarium verticillioides and Fusarium graminearum, respectively. Ear rots result in yield losses and reduced
kernel quality due to contamination by mycotoxins. Since no chemical treatments are available to control
Fusarium disease in maize, biological control could represent a promising sustainable strategy. A
commercial strain of Trichoderma harzianum (INAT11) was evaluated as seed treatment to manage PER and
RER through induction of a systemic resistance response in maize. Infection trials on maize plants under
controlled greenhouse conditions showed the capacity of INAT11 when applied to seed to reduce both F.
verticillioides and F. graminearum disease incidence (37% and 18.5%, respectively) and severity (33% and
28%, respectively). The expression of some genes belonging to both ISR (LOX10, AOS, HPL and OPR8)
and SAR pathways (PAL and PR1), and also a stress-related gene (POX), were analysed in the hours
following infection by quantitative real-time PCR. In treated plants during Fusarium infection some ISR and
SAR markers were upregulated. The up-regulation occurred at different levels likely related to their
pathogenic lifestyles
