One of the problems with storing bee products – pollen – is their microbiological pollution. With high levels of pollen contamination by microscopic fungi, toxins synthesized by the fungi of some genera can have a negative impact on human health. During the experiment, the prevalence of microscopic fungi in pollen was evaluated, and their genera and species were identified. Pollen samples were collected at different times of the year – spring and summer – in order to ascertain the abundance and diversity of different fungal genera and species. The dilution method (CFU/g) was used to determine the number of fungal strains per sample and their amount. The total number of fungal strains in the pollen collected in spring ranged from 1.3 to 5.7 × 10–3 CFU/g, in summer –1.0 to 5.8 × 10–3 CFU/g. In the pollen, 11 genera and six species of fungi were identified. The number of fungal genera and species in pollen collected in spring and summer varied insignificantly. In spring, ten genera and six species of fungi were isolated from pollen, and in summer 11 genera and six species were identified. Penicillium and Alternaria fungi dominated the bee pollen.

Effective and environmentally friendly methods of protection to reduce seed contamination from fungi are constantly sought. The use of thermal impulses of 100 °C wet water steam to reduce fungal contamination has not been sufficiently investigated, and the potential of this physical approach has not been estimated.The aim of the study was to investigate what impact 100 °C wet water steam with different time durations had on acorn contamination with fungi, acorn germination and biometric indicators of English oak (Quercus robur) seedlings during the first year of growth. Different treatment durations with wet water steam were used: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 14 s.Research showed that 6 seconds impact of wet steam on the surface of the oak acorn destroyed Alternaria spp., 8 seconds impact destroyed Penicillium spp. and 14 seconds impact destroyed Mucor spp. Using 14 seconds water steam treatment Penicillium, Alternaria and Mucor spp. fungi were eliminated.Wet water steam treatment for 2 - 4 seconds not only stimulated the acorns germination by 4.0 - 7.6%, but also had positive influence on the root collar diameter of seedlings. Wet water steam treatment for 2 - 12 seconds had a positive effect on the root development of oak seedlings, however, high temperature environment had a suppressive effect on the oak seedling height. Keywords: biological control, wet water steam, fungi, oak acorns, seedling production

The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of different biopreparations on the germination energy, germination and fungal infection of ecological winter wheat seeds.Germination energy and germination of winter wheat seeds were determined after 24, 480 and 960 h, while fungal infection after 24 and 960 h of their treatment. In the studies biopreparations Biokal 1 (10 l t -1 ), Biokal 2 (10 l t -1 ), Biojodis (2 l t -1 ) and Penergetic-p for roots (100 ml t -1 ) were used. It was found that the values of germination energy and germination of winter wheat treated with the biopreparations after 480 h increased by 4.45 and 0.62%, as compared to treated seeds after 24 h. After 960 h of treatment the value of germination energy, as compared to seeds treated after 480 h, decreased insignificantly, while the germination of seeds has reliably decreased by 0.84%, as compared to treated seeds after 24 h, the value of germination energy was by 3.45% higher, but no significant decrease in germination was ascertained.Biojodis after 24 h of the treatment was the most reliable in reducing wheat infection with the fungi of Fusarium, Alternaria, while Biokal 1 with Penicillium genera. The studied biopreparations after 960 h were insufficiently effective or had no influence at all on the development and spreading of fungi.The diseases of coleoptiles and roots of winter wheat after 24 h and 960 h were most reliably prevented by the biopreparation Biokal 2.

Biologinių produktų įtakos ekologiškų žieminių kviečių (<i>Triticum aestivum</i> L.) sėklos dygimo energijai, daigumui ir užterštumui mikroskopiniais grybais tyrimai atlikti 2005 ir 2008 m. Aleksandro Stulginskio universiteto Agroekologijos centro bei Agronomijos fakulteto Biologijos ir augalų biotechnologijos instituto mokslinėse laboratorijose. Biologiniais produktais apdorojus žieminių kviečių sėklą, didėjo sėklos dygimo energija ir daigumas. Dėl Biokal 2 poveikio žieminių kviečių sėkloje nustatytas mažiausias mikroskopinių grybų kolonijų skaičius. Kviečių užterštumą <i>Fusarium</i>, <i>Drechlera</i> ir <i>Alternaria</i> genčių grybais efektyviausiai sumažino biojodis. Biologiniai produktai Biokal 2, Penergetic-p šaknims patikimai slopino sėklos užterštumą <i>Drechlera</i> spp., tačiau jie buvo neefektyvūs mažinant sėklos užteršimą <i>Fusarium</i> spp. grybais. Drėgno filtro popieriaus rulonų metodu kviečių daigus koleoptilėse nuo pašaknio pažeidimų patikimai saugojo Biokal 2, šaknų – Biokal 2 ir Penergetic-p šaknims. Kviečių sėklos pažeidimus iš tirtų produktų efektyviausiai mažino biojodis.

The study was aimed to examine the effect of the bioproducts Biokal 01 and Fitokondi on the germination of organically grown winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivar ‘Širvinta 1’ seed and its contamination with microscopic fungi as well as the impact on the occurrence of foliar diseases, plant bio­metric indicators and grain quality. Laboratory analyses showed that the tested bioproducts did not exert any significant effect on seed vigour and germination. Fitokondi gave the highest efficacy against pathogens of seeds, its biological efficacy against Fusarium and Alternaria spp. fungi was 50.0% and against Penicillium spp. it was 20.0%. Biokal 01 statistically significantly reduced only grain contamination with Mucor spp. and Aspergillus spp. The bioproducts significantly decreased the incidence of crown rot diseases in the coleoptiles of wheat seedlings and roots. In the field conditions, the bioproducts did not have any significant effect on the incidence of Septoria leaf blotch (Mycosphaerella graminicola (Fuckel) J. Schröt. anamorph Zymoseptoria tritici (Desm.) Quaedvlieg & Crous) and tan spot (Helminthosporium tritici-repentis Died.). A significant increase in plant height and ear length, grain number per ear and 1000 grain weight was recorded. Grain yield increased by 0.66–0.79 t ha–1 or 18.64–22.32%, as well as protein, wet gluten and dry gluten content in response to both bioproducts.

This paper presents the results of a study which was aimed at determining the concentration of Fusarium fungi and their mycotoxins in fresh bee pollen, stored for different periods. The analysed parameters included palynological analysis, moisture content, fungal counts, identification and toxigenic profiles. In this study, 45 bee pollen samples collected from the same apiary families were investigated. Palynological analysis determined six plant families, among which Brassicaceae prevailed. The number of detected isolates in the bee pollen during the study period ranged from 3.5 × 103 to 9.1 × 104 cfu g−1. During the study, the most prevalent fungal genera of Alternaria, Cladosporium and Yeasts were found in fresh bee pollen. The significantly highest amounts of fungal colonies were determined after 3 days of storage of undried pollen. Fusarium fungal genera were detected in 46% of all studied samples, with levels ranging from 101 cfu g−1. After 3 days of storage, the most significant Fusarium spp. increase (17.03%) was detected. F. graminearum and F. sporotrichioides prevailed during the whole period of the study. The highest concentrations of mycotoxins ZEN (280 µg kg−1) and DON (120 µg kg−1) were found after 3 days of pollen storage. The results of the present study report the importance of microbiological and mycotoxicological analyses in monitoring bee pollen from the initial stages of its production process.

The aim of the experiment was to determine the effect of storage duration at different ambient temperatures on bee pollen contamination by microscopic fungi and their mycotoxins. The dilution plate technique was used for isolation of fungi from the samples. The contents of mycotoxins aflatoxin (AFL), ochratoxin A (OTA), deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEN) and T-2 toxin (T-2) were analysed by the direct competitive enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Toxin-producing fungi, belonged to Penicillium, Aspergillus and Fusarium spp., isolated during bee pollen storage with a total amount varying from 1 × 10 to 3.5 × 10 3 cfu g -1 . The amount of toxin-producing fungi was the lowest in the bee pollen stored for 1 month at 8-9°C temperature: it varied from 1 × 10 to 2.1 × 10 3 cfu g -1 . After 4 months of storage at 20-22°C temperature, the highest contamination of bee pollen was found: it ranged from 2 × 10 to 3.5 × 10 3 cfu g -1 . Contamination with toxins AFL, OTA and T-2 in all bee pollen samples was found to be below the limit of detection. Mycotoxins ZEN and DON after 1 month of storage at 8-9°C temperature were not detected. The highest DON concentration (185 µg kg -1 ) was ascertained after 4 months of storage at 8-9°C temperature; the highest ZEN concentration (830 µg kg -1 ) was found after 1 month of storage at 20-22°C temperature.

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