TAMZ107 Stands Out in a Wet Year for Corn Ear Rots

Sometimes two ears of corn can tell an important plant-breeding story.

Ears from the 2026 Taylor, Texas, corn hybrid trial. TAMZ107 (top) remained free of visible ear-rot symptoms, while an unnamed commercial hybrid (bottom) showed severe ear-rot damage.

Both ears pictured came from a 2026 corn hybrid trial near Taylor, Texas—one location in our multilocation testing program. The ear on top is TAMZ107, developed by Dr. Wenwei Xu, Texas A&M AgriLife Research corn breeder at Lubbock. The ear on bottom is an unnamed commercial hybrid.

Frequent rainfall and humid conditions during the 2026 growing season have favored corn ear rots across parts of Texas. The commercial ear shows severe ear-rot symptoms, with Fusarium among the predominant ear-rot pathogens observed this season. All commercial hybrids in this trial showed some ear-rot damage, while the TAMZ hybrids remained free of visible symptoms.

The importance of this comparison is not the identity of the commercial company. It is the value of years of public plant breeding. Dr. Xu selected resistant inbred parents and combined them to produce TAMZ hybrids adapted to Texas conditions. TAMZ107 has been tested for several years and is now ready for release and fits an organic program because it is GMO free and adapted to organic conditions.

Genetic resistance is especially valuable for organic farmers because it arrives in the seed. The plant begins the season with its own protection rather than depending on a treatment after disease develops. Resistant hybrids can also benefit any farmer facing difficult weather and disease pressure.

See the TAMZ Hybrids in the Field

The TAMZ hybrids will be featured during the Field to Fiesta Corn Tour on Wednesday, August 12, beginning at 9 a.m. at the Halfway Research Center in Halfway, Texas. The tour will include the research center and nearby farm fields, followed by a sponsored lunch.

Topics will include heat during pollination, corn borers and earworms, drought tolerance, ear rots and herbicide drift. For attendance information, contact Extension Agronomist Kristie Keys at kristie.keys@ag.tamu.edu. View the program announcement.