Abstract
Maize has become one of the most important crops for food and feed production—both as a silage and crop residue worldwide. The present study aimed to identify the co-occurrence of Fusarium subglutinans, Fusarium verticillioides, Trichoderma atroviride, Sarocladium zeae, and Lecanicillium lecanii on maize ear rot. Further, the accumulation of mycotoxins as secondary metabolites of Fusarium spp. in maize ear samples was also analyzed. Maize ear samples were collected between 2014 and 2017 from two main maize growing areas in Poland (Greater Poland and Silesia region). A significant difference was found in the frequency of two main Fusarium spp. that infect maize ears, namely F. subglutinans and F. verticillioides. In addition to Fusarium spp. T. atroviride, S. zeae, and L. lecanii were also identified. T. atroviride species was found in 14% of maize samples examined between 2014 and 2017, particularly with a high percentage of Trichoderma spp. recorded in 2014, i.e., in 31% of samples. However, mycotoxin content (beauvericin and fumonisins) varied, depending on both the location and year of sampling. The interaction of fungi and insects inhabiting maize ear and kernel is very complex and not yet elucidated. Therefore, further research is required in this area.
Highlights
In Poland, maize (Zea mays) is, one of the major cereal grains, cultivated every year in an area of approximately one million ha
The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of Fusarium spp., Trichoderma spp., S. zeae, and L. lecanii in maize kernels collected from two localities in Poland (Greater Poland and Silesia region) during four seasons (2014–2017)
A significant difference was found in the frequency of the two Fusarium spp. that commonly infect maize ears, namely F. subglutinans and F. verticillioides
Summary
In Poland, maize (Zea mays) is, one of the major cereal grains, cultivated every year in an area of approximately one million ha. Its importance in the cultivation is growing [1] It is an important continuous breeding progress, which allows for a significant reduction in the thermal needs of maize. An important disadvantage of maize is its susceptibility to Fusarium pathogens [2]. They attack plants at different developmental stages, leading to root rot, stalk rot, and ear rot, which are considered the most important disease of crop worldwide [3]. The prevailing pathogen species can vary over the years depending on various factors, such as the continent and region, agroecological conditions [4,5], insect damage [6], other stress factors and susceptibility of cultivars (hybrids) to infection by Fusarium species [7].
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