The influence of harvesting time and meteorological conditions on the occurrence of Fusarium species and mycotoxin contamination of spring cereals

Abstract

BACKGROUND The aim was to determine the influence of harvesting time and meteorological conditions on the occurrence of Fusarium spp. and mycotoxins in the grain of spring cereals. A field experiment was performed in 2016–2018 with spring oat (Avena sativa L.) and spring triticale (× Triticosecale Wittm.) plots. Grain samples of oat and triticale were analysed for Fusarium infection and co‐contamination with mycotoxins deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEA) and T‐2 toxin (T‐2). RESULTS Results from the three‐year study showed that the occurrence of Fusarium spp. fungi and mycotoxins produced by them in spring oat and triticale grain was most influenced by the meteorological conditions at harvesting time and crop species. CONCLUSIONS It was found that in all experimental years, F. poae, F. tricinctum and F. sporotrichioides predominated in oat grains and F. graminearum, F. sporotrichioides and F. avenaceum predominated in spring triticale; as a result, oat grains were more contaminated with T‐2 and triticale grains with DON and ZEA. Due to the rainy harvesting period in 2017, the contamination level of Fusarium fungi of grain of both crop species was 100%, and the concentrations of DON and ZEA in the samples of spring triticale were several times higher than those set forth in the EU regulation. Co‐occurrence of all three mycotoxins analysed (DON, ZEA and T‐2) was identified in these samples. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry

Occurrence of Aflatoxin B1, deoxynivalenol and zearalenone in feeds in China during 2018–2020

“…Meanwhile, more than 97.8%, 98.4% and 95.7% complete feeds for pig, poultry and ruminant, respectively, were also co-contaminated with these three mycotoxins. These results were similar to previous reports which showed that mycotoxin co-contamination is a widespread issue in the feed industry [ 21 , 35 – 38 ]. Since the present feed safety regulations do not consider the potential toxicity of co-contamination of mycotoxins, their combined toxicity on animal health and production may be underestimated, and the combined toxicity of these mycotoxins warrants further study so that it might be considered when new regulatory limits for mycotoxins are set in the future.…”

Deoxynivalenol Occurrence in Triticale Crops in Romania during the 2012–2014 Period with Extreme Weather Events

“…In the 2012–2014 period with extreme weather events, only Romania and Poland reported natural contamination with deoxynivalenol in triticale, values being similar in the regions from northeastern Romania and southeastern Poland that have close historical agroclimatic conditions due to geographic position (present study) [ 64 , 90 ]. For the 2016–2018 period, Lithuania reported natural contamination with deoxynivalenol in triticale, especially during the harvest period with heavy precipitation, leading to increased mycotoxin levels [ 110 ].…”

“…Cereals and animal feed in Central Europe (45–52° N, 8–20° E) showed very high maximum values of deoxynivalenol contamination, especially between 49–52° N and 9–20° E (Eastern Moravia and northern Bohemia in the Czech Republic, Germany and southwestern Poland), compared to cereals in southeastern Europe (41–46° N, 15–25° E) and Eastern Europe (41–46° N, 15–25° E) ( Figure S.4 ) [ 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 , 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 74 , 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 , 84 , 85 , 86 , 90 , 91 , 92 , 93 , 110 , 111 , 112 , 113 ]. The higher deoxynivalenol contamination in cereals in Central Europe (southern Germany, the Czech Republic, western Slovakia and southwestern Poland) is due to precipitation caused by the intersection of Atlantic air masses with the “Vb” cyclones and low historical agroclimatic characteristics that have been amplified by extreme weather events in 2012–2014 ( Figure S.4 ) [ 19 , 54 ].…”

“…The statistical distribution of deoxynivalenol contamination was the same for all triticale varieties in 2012–2014, but there were differences between agricultural regions with the same weather events and different values of the historical climatic aridity ( Table 2 and Table S.2.3; Figure S.3.3 ). Triticale varieties in Romania showed much lower natural and artificial contamination than those in southern Germany and Poland (Central Europe with a humid climate), but also Lithuania (Baltic States with a cold and dry climate) because Romania has a drier climate that diminishes or counteracts the effect of heavy precipitation, especially in the warmer southern regions ( Figure S.4 ) [ 64 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 90 , 91 , 92 , 93 , 96 , 110 ].…”

“…The highest incidences of triticale samples that were deoxynivalenol-positive and had DON ≥ 1000 µg/kg were recorded in 2014 with extreme precipitation and floods caused by the "Vb" and "Vb(1c)" cyclones (Figures 1 and 4 [64,90]. For the 2016-2018 period, Lithuania reported natural contamination with deoxynivalenol in triticale, especially during the harvest period with heavy precipitation, leading to increased mycotoxin levels [110].…”