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Dr. Kevin Korus: Corn Smut, a Disgusting Disaster or a Delicious Delicacy?
Yahoo News! ^
| April 17, 2022
| Dr. Kevin Korus
Posted on 05/01/2022 2:26:22 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Have you ever gleefully walked into your garden, anxiously anticipating your early summer sweet-corn harvest, only to find that your ears have been replaced with a large, gray mass? Do not fret; this is a very common fungal plant pathogen called smut. Corn smut occurs most often on the ear, but also can show up on the stalk, leaves and even the tassel of corn plants. The large, gray tumor that replaces the corn kernels or even the entire ear of corn is the fungus’ fruiting body, which gives rise to its reproductive spores. When the fruiting body first develops, it is a solid mass of off-white or gray tissue. When the fruiting body is mature, however, it becomes filled with thousands of tiny, black teliospores. The tumor eventually erupts, and these spores are wind-blown or rain-splashed onto other plants. They then germinate, mate and create infection filaments that can continue the disease cycle.
There isn’t much that can be done to prevent corn smut. The disease is favored by physical wounding on the ears. Increasing space between plants can help reduce bruising and wounds on the ears from when they knock into each other during periods of high wind. However, the fungus can actively penetrate leaf tissues via an appressorium, so wounding is not necessary for infection. Preventative fungicides can help reduce disease incidence but are rarely used to combat this fungus due to its unpredictable nature.
Although this fungus looks rather unappealing, it is quite delicious! I do not — and cannot — recommend harvesting and preparing this fungus yourself; however, if you are ever in a restaurant that serves huitlacoche, give it a try! Huitlacoche is the Spanish word for corn smut. Long ago the people of Mexico discovered the delicious nature of this fungal plant pathogen
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
TOPICS: Food; Local News; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: corn; cornsmut; huitlacoche; qanon
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To: nickcarraway
“Corn smut”...another one for Dave Barry’s list of cool garage band names....
2
posted on
05/01/2022 2:33:35 PM PDT
by
M1903A1
("We shed all that is good and virtuous for that which is shoddy and sleazy...and call it progress" )
To: nickcarraway
It’s both, but I’ve eaten “corn smut” in a quesadilla, and it was really tasty.
3
posted on
05/01/2022 2:36:47 PM PDT
by
ConservativeMind
(Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
To: nickcarraway
I do not — and cannot — recommend harvesting and preparing this fungus yourself
Why not?
I'm allergic to mushrooms, so I'm not going to try it. But, I lose part of my corn crop every year to this, so I'm curious about the idea of harvesting and selling some.
4
posted on
05/01/2022 2:44:37 PM PDT
by
Ellendra
(A single lie on our side does more damage than a thousand lies on their side.)
To: Ellendra
5
posted on
05/01/2022 2:53:34 PM PDT
by
Openurmind
(The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world it leaves to its children. ~ D. Bonhoeffer)
To: nickcarraway
Some doctor he is, never even names the fungus. It is Ustilago maydis, and it is highly sought after by ethnic lovers of it. It is available canned in Mexico, and some farmers intentionally try to introduce it into their fields.
6
posted on
05/01/2022 2:54:31 PM PDT
by
Fungi
To: Ellendra
Only reason I can see is the harvest time window, can’t be too soon or too late.
7
posted on
05/01/2022 2:56:29 PM PDT
by
Openurmind
(The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world it leaves to its children. ~ D. Bonhoeffer)
To: nickcarraway
Me encanta el huitlacoche.
8
posted on
05/01/2022 2:56:39 PM PDT
by
ViLaLuz
(2 Chronicles 7:14)
To: ConservativeMind
I’ve seen it on the stalk and couldn’t imagine eating it.
To: nickcarraway
I’ll stick with my scrapple.
10
posted on
05/01/2022 3:23:12 PM PDT
by
Deepeasttx
( Sensitivity/diversity training, along with CRT are all un-walled reeducation camps....for now.)
To: nickcarraway
The street taco places near me sell.it.
11
posted on
05/01/2022 3:24:38 PM PDT
by
BozoTexino
(RIP GOP)
To: nickcarraway
12
posted on
05/01/2022 3:39:47 PM PDT
by
moovova
To: nickcarraway
The only "large, gray" things that ever attacked my corn
were fat gray squirrels.
To: hinckley buzzard
To: nickcarraway
Oh sure.
But can the gummint turn it into gas with taxpayer subsidies?
15
posted on
05/01/2022 4:36:44 PM PDT
by
MV=PY
(The Magic Question: Who's paying for it?)
To: nickcarraway
Perfect compliment to a fugu taco.
To: nickcarraway
When it occurs, my goats love it.
I’ll take their word for it.
17
posted on
05/01/2022 4:40:49 PM PDT
by
Fury
To: nickcarraway
SMUT is the old name for pornography.
18
posted on
05/01/2022 5:11:20 PM PDT
by
Ruy Dias de Bivar
(Three more days and out of FB jail for the third time this year! I'm on a roll!)
To: nickcarraway
Sponsored by Klaus Schwab no doubt.
19
posted on
05/01/2022 5:23:22 PM PDT
by
grey_whiskers
(The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change with out notice.)
To: nickcarraway
20
posted on
05/01/2022 5:36:54 PM PDT
by
TChad
("Joe, we should evacuate the civilians before the military. You understand that, right? Joe?")
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