Observation of changes in Fusarium mycotoxin profiles in maize grain over the last decade in Poland

Abstract

Fungi of the genus Fusarium annually cause significant losses in maize production, one of the world's most cultivated cereals. These fungi infect plants, leading to the contamination of kernels with toxic metabolites, both in the field and in postharvest products. As Poland ranks the third largest corn producer in the European Union (EU), after France and Romania, with an 11% share of EU production, monitoring the health and purity of corn crops remains a pertinent issue. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the mycotoxin profiles in maize ears harvested between 2013 and 2021 and to estimate the impact of different growing seasons on the types and quantities of mycotoxins. Additionally, the presence of toxigenic Fusarium species in maize kernels was considered. The research was conducted at two locations in Poland: Kobierzyce and Złotniki. The results showed that the growing seasons significantly impacted the occurrence of the most analyzed toxins, namely deoxynivalenol, nivalenol, Enn A, Enn A1, Enn B, Enn B1, and beauvericin. However, this relationship was not observed for zearalenone and moniliformin in the Kobierzyce samples and for zearalenone in the Złotniki samples. Interestingly, the maize samples from 2014 to 2017 exhibited similar toxin profiles at both locations, while significant differences were observed in the years 2016 and 2020, as well as 2017 and 2021, between Kobierzyce and Złotniki, respectively.