Elżbieta Mielniczuk

Reaction of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars to infection with Fusarium spp.: mycotoxin contamination in grain and chaff.

This study compares the susceptibility of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars to Fusarium head blight (FHB) and accumulation of mycotoxins in kernels and chaff under different climatic conditions in two locations–Cerekwica near Poznan (Central West Poland) and Sitaniec, near Zamosc, Lublin region (South East Poland). Very high variations were found in the concentrations of mycotoxins (zearalenone, ZEA; nivalenol, NIV; deoxynivalenol, DON; moniliformin, MON) in examined fractions: Fusarium-damaged kernels (FDK) and healthy looking kernels (HLK) and in chaff for individual cultivars in both locations. In most cases, significantly higher concentrations of investigated toxins were recorded in wheat from the area of Lublin than from Poznan (p < 0.05). The highest Fusarium infection rates and mycotoxin biosynthesis levels were observed in the Lublin location, with the percentage of the FDK fraction ranging 8.1–81.6. In this region, ZEA concentration (µg g−1) after inoculation with F. culmorum and F. graminearum ranged from 0.02–0.48 and 0.32–1.04, respectively. In the Poznan area, the toxin concentrations were considerably lower, ranging 0.01–0.10 and 0.03–0.13 µg g−1 for both isolates, respectively. The concentration of DON was significantly higher than ZEA or NIV levels. The levels of MON accumulation (µg g−1) in the FDK fraction were between 0.14 and 1.73 (Poznan area) and ND (not detected) to 2.51 (Lublin area). F. avenaceum infection rate ranged 7–35% in samples where the toxin was detected.