It's really ugly but it's a sign of a healthy environment for soil microbes.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/39979185

This here is trichoderma ear rot in an organic field. This 100 day variety was chewed on by an earworm. The damaged kernals allowed trichderma to enter and infect the ear. This ear rot produces many toxins and is a big no for consumption.

The twist - Trichoderma is usually a beneficial organism in the soil. It feeds on other pathogenic fungus/bacteria and is applied extensively for biological control.

Although normally a secondary pathogen, it has mutated to become a primary pathogen in both Italy and Germany in recent years.