Resistance to toxigenic fungi and their toxins in maize is a highly important research topic, as mean global losses are estimated at about 10% of the yield. Resistance and toxin data of the hybrids are mostly not given, so farmers are not informed about the food safety risks of their grown hybrids. According to the findings aflatoxin regularly occurs at preharvest in Hungary and possibly other countries in the region can be jeopardized. We tested, with an improved methodology (two isolates, three pathogens, and a toxin control), 18 commercial hybrids (2017–2020) for kernel resistance (%), and for toxin contamination separately by two–two isolates of F. graminearum, F. verticillioides (mg/kg), and A. flavus (μg/kg). The preharvest toxin contamination was measured in the controls. Highly significant kernel resistance and toxin content differences were identified between hybrids to the different fungi. Extreme high toxin production was found for each toxic species. Only about 10–15% of the hybrids showed higher resistance to the fungal species tested and lower contamination level of their toxins. The lacking correlations between resistance to different fungi and toxins suggest that resistance to different fungi and response to toxin contamination inherits independently, so a toxin analysis is necessary. For safety risk estimation, separated artificial and natural kernel infection and toxin data are needed against all pathogens. Higher resistance to A. flavus and F. verticillioides stabilizes or improves feed safety in hot and dry summers, balancing the harmful effect of climate changes. Resistance and toxin tests during variety registration is an utmost necessity. The exclusion of susceptible or highly susceptible hybrids from commercial production results in reduced toxin contamination.

Mycotoxin contamination of maize often raises risks for human and animal health. The most frequently detected mycotoxins in maize are trichothecenes, fumonisins, and aflatoxin. A total number of 17,011 maize samples were tested by SGS for their mycotoxin content between 2012 and 2017. The toxin results clearly show that the southern areas of the country had higher levels of toxin contamination than the average. According to the dataset, aflatoxin contamination has become regular but the appearance of fumonisins was also more frequent. Deoxynivalenol toxin accumulation in crops can also reach dangerous levels under favorable ecological conditions. The fluctuation between years and regisons is decisively shaped by the weather conditions. However, the two pathogens with less virulence (Fusarium verticillioides and Aspergillus flavus) must be taken into account and the contribution of insect pests. 72.63% of the total fumonisin concentration was defined as fumonisin B1, 20.34% as fumonisin B2, and 7.03% as fumonisin B3. The correlations between the three fumonisins analogs were higly significant (P = 0.001), and correlation coefficient varied between 0.961 and 0.998 across the six years of evaluation. This is the first complex evaluation of deoxynivalenol, fumonisin, and aflatoxin contamination of maize samples in Hungary.

Mycotoxins originating in the preharvest period represent a less studied research problem, even though they are of the utmost practical significance in maize production, determining marketability (within EU limits), and storage ability, competitiveness, and profit rate. In this study, 18–23 commercial hybrids were tested between 2014 and 2021. Natural infection from Fusarium spp. was higher than 1.5%, and for Aspergillus spp. this was normally 0.01% or 0, much lower than would be considered as severe infection. In spite of this, many hybrids provided far higher toxin contamination than regulations allow. The maximum preharvest aflatoxin B1 was in 2020 (at 2286 μg/kg), and, in several cases, the value was higher than 1000 μg/kg. The hybrid differences were large. In Hungary, the presence of field-originated aflatoxin B1 was continuous, with three AFB1 epidemics in the 8 years. The highest DON contamination was in 2014 (at 27 mg/kg), and a detectable DON level was found in every hybrid. FUMB1+B2 were the highest in 2014 (at 45.78 mg/kg). At these low infection levels, correlations between visual symptoms and toxin contaminations were mostly non-significant, so it is not feasible to draw a conclusion about toxin contamination from ear rot coverage alone. The toxin contamination of hybrids for a percentage of visual infection is highly variable, and only toxin data can decide about food safety. Hybrids with no visual symptoms and high AFB1 contamination were also identified. Preharvest control, including breeding and variety registration, is therefore of the utmost importance to all three pathogens. Even natural ear rot and toxin data do not prove differences in resistance, so a high ear rot or toxin contamination level should be considered as a risk factor for hybrids. The toxin control of freshly harvested grain is vital for separating healthy and contaminated lots. In addition, proper growing and storage conditions must be ensured to protect the feed safety of the grain.