The effect of fertiliser treatments on the severity of Fusarium head blight and mycotoxin biosynthesis in winter rye

Abstract

The fungi of the genus Fusarium cause Fusarium head blight (FHB), a devastating disease that reduces grain yield and quality. They also produce mycotoxins which may pose a serious threat to human and animal health. This study investigated the effects of NPK fertilisation, foliar application of Cu, Zn, and Mn, applied separately and in combination, and of the Nano-Gro ® organic growth stimulator on the occurrence of FHB in cultivar Dańkowskie Diament rye based on the mycological analysis of kernels and on the concentrations of Fusarium mycotoxins in grain. The severity of FHB caused by seven species of the genus Fusarium was influenced by weather conditions in the analysed growing seasons. The applied fertilisation and the Nano-Gro ® organic growth stimulator exerted varied effects on FHB development and the biosynthesis of Fusarium mycotoxins (deoxynivalenol, nivalenol, zearalenone and fumonisins) in grain. The greatest reduction in deoxynivalenol and nivalenol concentrations was noted in 2013, and the levels of moniliformin were lower in treated samples than in absolute control (untreated) samples in both years of the study. The severity of FHB positively correlated with the concentrations of zearalenone, deoxynivalenol, nivalenol, and moniliformin in the grain samples. Greater accumulation of ergosterol was noted in the rye grain harvested in 2013 than in 2012, and fertiliser treatment led to higher ergosterol concentrations than did control treatment. KEY WORDS: deoxynivalenol; ergosterol; fertilisation with microelements; FHB; fumonisins; fungi; moniliformin; nivalenol; zearalenone Fusarium spp., common in all climate zones, can cause many diseases in cereal crops (1-4). These fungi are transmitted through soil and crop residues, compromising plant health as the infection spreads (5). Their pathogens attack plants from the early stages of development (BBCH 30) to maturity (BBCH 77 (3,(7)(8)(9)(10). Fusarium culmorum and F. avenaceum are the most common in Europe, including Poland (2-3, 11). According to Rintelen (12), F. poae and F. tricinctum are more common than F. culmorum and F. graminearum when dry and cool conditions that prevail during flowering are followed by a wet period at a later stage of development. Champeil et al. (13) found that the severity of FHB in wheat is largely determined by high relative humidity, wind, and rainfall during flowering and harvest.According to the literature (14-15), these pathogens differ in their responses to fertilisation with nitrate (N), phosphate (P), potassium (K), and microelements. High N fertilisation levels seem to increase the severity of infections with obligate pathogens but decrease the severity of infections with facultative parasites, including Fusarium spp. (16). Potassium reduces the host plant's susceptibility to infections, but only when applied at optimal rates. Unlike potassium's, phosphate's role in plant resistance to pathogens varies considerably. Microelements such as Cu, Zn, Mn, and B, in turn, seem to be involved in a plant's physiological...

The Pressure of Fusarium Disease and Its Relation with Mycotoxins in The Wheat Grain and Malt

“…Mesterhazy (1997) [19] reported that DON levels in wheat depends on both variety resistance and isolate. In wheat, barley, and rye, the severity of symptoms on spike is often correlated with the mycotoxin accumulation in the grains [20,21,22,23,24]. However, for DON content, it was concluded that is not always highly correlated with FHB severity because those traits could be regulated by independent loci or genes [25].…”

Detoxification approaches of mycotoxins: by microorganisms, biofilms and enzymes

“…More than 400 different types of mycotoxins have been identified with different levels of toxicity. Among all mycotoxins, aflatoxins (AFs), Ochratoxin A (OTA), patulin (PAT), Zearalenone (ZEN), and Trichothecenes (TCT) have received particular attention due to their severe health outcomes on both humans and animals that can range from acute to severe and chronic intoxications in both humans and animals (Milićević et al 2010;Cwalina-Ambroziak et al 2017;Vargas et al 2001;El Khoury and Atoui 2010;El Khoury et al 2011;Battilani et al 2016;Nahle et al 2020). Exposure to mycotoxins can occur directly through the ingestion of contaminated food or indirectly through bi-products of animals consuming contaminated feed (Bullerman 1979).…”

Effect of Foliar Copper-Containing Superabsorbent Polymers on Nutritional Characteristics and Mycotoxin Contamination of Wheat Kernel

“…It was previously stated that 20-40% of crops have been said to be lost each year due to pests and diseases, furthermore 25% of grain crops are contaminated with mycotoxins, mainly with deoxynivalenol (DON) as one of the five most commonly occurring (Worrall et al, 2018;Bryden, 2011;Rodrigues and Naehrer, 2012). Plant disease is a major problem for production, and the decrease in crop yield (Ramezani et al, 2019;Cwalina-Ambroziak et al, 2017). Wheat is one of the most prone crops to mycotoxin contamination in temperate regions, such as DON or T-2 toxins.…”