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Entomology Image Gallery > Plant Diseases and Damage > Corn > Aspergillus Aspergillus ear rot and storage mold Aspergillus ear rot and storage mold. Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus can produce aflatoxins. They are generally known as storage fungi, but they can also cause ear rots in the field. Aspergillus is a gray-green, powdery mold. In Iowa, Aspergillus is much more common in hot, dry years. It can grow at temperatures higher than 90° F, and grain moisture content as low as 15 percent. The fungus can be detected in corn because it produces compounds that are fluorescent under black light, but this does not directly detect the presence of aflatoxins. This image appears in the following articles: Identifying ear rot diseases (October 1996)Identifying ear rot diseases (October 1996) Check for ear rot diseases (October 1999) Corn ear rots (October 2004) |