What's the best way to spread corn smut?

I've read that it spreads through the wind, so to my mind the best way to go about this is taking some of the 'passed-it's-prime' specimines on a windy day and walking upwind from the corn patch. Is there a better way though? Maybe I need to rub the smut on the plants?

This is a very good question. I wonder how the Mexican farmers do it?

Maybe mix up a slurry of fully ripe, blackened smut with water and spray it on? (Except that it would probably clog the sprayer.) Perhaps dip a paintbrush in a container and brush it on?


brain-like by frankenstoen, on Flickr

I finally cooked up some smut a few weeks back and it was delicious!

I used to work at a fancy mexican restaurant, and they would buy in a ton of huitlacoche (corn smut) from a local farm. I talked to her about growing it, and remember something about using a syringe and inoculating each ear at a specific time of it's development. When the silks are at a specific stage it needs to be done. She would buy the spores in from somewhere and make a slurry of some sort.... Sorry no other details.!!

Joe

It sounds as though the natural way would involve letting the smut break the kernel open to release spores.

I understand that it gets into the kernel using the same pathway that pollen would, so it makes sense that inoculation would happen when the plant is open to pollination.

I have a hunch that the spores work while dry, and that you could save them as a dry powder, and apply them using a brush or a powder sprayer.