Fusarium Species Research Articles

The Interaction between Hypovirulence-Associated Chrysoviruses and Their Host Fusarium Species.

Chrysoviruses are isometric virus particles (35-50 nm in diameter) with a genome composed of double-stranded RNAs (dsRNA). These viruses belonged to the Chrysoviridae family, named after the first member isolated from Penicillium chrysogenum. Phylogenetic classification has divided the chrysoviruses into Alphachrysovirus and Betachrysovirus genera. Currently, these chrysoviruses have been found to infect many fungi, including Fusarium species, and cause changes in the phenotype and decline in the pathogenicity of the host. Thus, it is a microbial resource with great biocontrol potential against Fusarium species, causing destructive plant diseases and substantial economic losses. This review provides a comprehensive overview of three chrysovirus isolates (Fusarium graminearum virus 2 (FgV2), Fusarium graminearum virus-ch9 (FgV-ch9), and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. dianthi mycovirus 1 (FodV1)) reported to decline the pathogenicity of Fusarium hosts. It also summarizes the recent studies on host response regulation, host RNA interference, and chrysovirus transmission. The information provided in the review will be a reference for analyzing the interaction of Fusarium species with chrysovirus and proposing opportunities for research on the biocontrol of Fusarium diseases. Finally, we present reasons for conducting further studies on exploring the interaction between chrysoviruses and Fusarium and improving the accumulation and transmission efficiency of these chrysoviruses.

Current review of biodegradation and detoxification strategies for zearalenone contaminated food and feed

Mycotoxins are toxic metabolites produced by fungi that may cause serious health problems in humans and animals. Zearalenone is an estrogenic mycotoxin produced by Fusarium species that leads to huge economic losses in the food industry and livestock husbandry. Contamination of food and feed with zearalenone has reproductive problems, carcinogenicity, immunotoxicity, and other cytotoxic effects. At present, microorganisms and enzymes derived from microbial strains have been widely used for the degradation of zearalenone in food and feed. Researchers have developed biodegradation of zearalenone by the use of microbial and their enzyme derivatives, which offers harmless products and is environmentally friendly. Development of recombinant enzymes improves enzymatic detoxification of zearalenone to a non-toxic product without damaging the nutritional content. This review summarizes biodegradation and detoxification strategies of zearalenone using microorganisms and enzyme derivatives to nontoxic products.

Fusarium clavum causes sugar beet seedling root rot in Wyoming, USA

Seedling rot in sugar beet was observed at Snyder Farms, Wyoming, USA, in April 2022. The diseased seedlings exhibited water-soaked brown to blackish lesions in hypocotyls with poor root systems. Four fungal isolates were retrieved from the diseased samples, and their morphological features were found to be identical to those of previously reported Fusarium species. Artificial inoculation with isolates developed similar symptoms to those observed in the field samples. Based on morphological characteristics, pathogenicity assays, sequence homologies of the internal transcribed spacer, translation elongation factor (tef1α), largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (rpb2), β-tubulin (β-tub), and multilocus phylogenic analyses with tef1α and rpb2, the causal agent was identified as Fusarium clavum (F. incarnatum-equiseti species complex 5). This is the first worldwide report of sugar beet seedling rot caused by F. clavum, detected in Wyoming, USA. This finding will help to formulate effective management practices to manage the pathogen and prevent its widespread occurrence.

Fungicide Sensitivity of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lentis and Fusarium acuminatum Affecting Lentil in the Northern Great Plains.

Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lentis and F. acuminatum cause wilting and root rot in pulse crops including lentil. Fungicide seed treatments are widely used, but information about Fusarium spp. sensitivity in lentils is limited. Here, 30 F. oxysporum f. sp. lentis and 30 F. acuminatum isolates from Montana, southern Canada, North Dakota, and Washington were identified, tested for pathogenicity, and assayed for in vitro sensitivity to pyraclostrobin, prothioconazole, ipconazole, and thiophanate-methyl. F. oxysporum f. sp. lentis and F. acuminatum differed in their sensitivity to all fungicides. No resistant isolates were identified, but F. oxysporum f. sp. lentis had lower EC50 values in pyraclostrobin (averaging 0.47 μg a.i./ml) than F. acuminatum (averaging 0.89 μg a.i./ml) for mycelia assays. Both species had lower EC50 values in prothioconazole, averaging EC50 0.23 in F. oxysporum f. sp. lentis and 0.53 μg a.i./ml in F. acuminatum. F. oxysporum f. sp. lentis isolates had the lowest EC50 values on ipconazole compared to F. acuminatum (0.78 and 1.49 μg a.i./ml). The pathogens were least sensitive to thiophanate-methyl (1.74 μg a.i./ml for F. oxysporum f. sp. lentis and 1.91 μg a.i./ml for F. acuminatum). Overall sensitivity to the fungicides was higher in F. oxysporum f. sp. lentis than F. acuminatum. This study provides reference EC50 values while pointing to the possibility of differential fungicide efficacies on Fusarium spp. This will be helpful to monitor shifts in sensitivity of Fusarium spp. and devise robust root rot/wilt management approaches.

Characterization of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. pisi Associated with Root Rot of Field Pea in North Dakota and the Effects of Temperature on Aggressiveness.

Fusarium root rot is an important disease of field pea (Pisum sativum var. sativum L.) that occurs everywhere pea is grown, causing yield loss of up to 75%. Fusarium root rot is caused by a complex of Fusarium species, most notably Fusarium solani in the Pacific Northwest of the United States and F. avenaceum in the northern Great Plains of the United States and Canada. F. oxysporum f. sp. pisi (Fop) was frequently isolated from peas exhibiting root rot symptoms in North Dakota during recent surveys. Fop causes wilt (races 1, 5, and 6) and near wilt (race 2) on pea. However, its contribution to pea root rot remains unclear. Fop race was determined for isolates from North Dakota pea root rot surveys. ND Fop isolates were evaluated for root rot pathogenicity and aggressiveness at standard and elevated temperatures. Results from greenhouse wilt assays indicated that all Fop races exist in North Dakota, with race 2 most prevalent among the 25 North Dakota isolates evaluated. Root rot evaluations conducted at 21/18°C and 25/19°C day/night temperatures demonstrated that most Fop isolates were as aggressive or more aggressive than F. solani and F. avenaceum under both temperature regimes. Aggressiveness of Fop isolates tended to increase at elevated assay temperatures. Results from these experiments indicate that Fop may be an important contributor to the root rot complex of field pea in North Dakota and should be considered in integrated pest management strategies, including pea breeding efforts to improve resistance to Fusarium root rot.[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of Fusarium infections in adult patients after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: A meta-summary of case reports.

Fusarium infections have increased, particularly among patients with hematological malignancies and in those receiving hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). This meta-summary summarizes the clinical characteristics, treatment, and outcomes of Fusarium infections in HSCT recipients. The PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Ovid SP databases were searched from inception to January 2024 to identify relevant case reports. A total of 31 patients diagnosed with Fusarium infections after HSCT were included. The most common infection sites were the skin and soft tissues (74.2%), blood (54.8%), and lungs (41.9%). Fusarium species complex was identified in 67.7% of the patients, and the most common species was Fusarium solani (51.6%). Of the included patients, 58.1% received antifungal monotherapy, whereas 41.9% received antifungal combination therapy. The overall mortality rate was 74.2%. Cutaneous infection was associated with a low mortality rate. The median time to mortality was 28 days. Fusarium infections commonly present as disseminated infections in HSCT recipients.

Fungal Communities Associated with Corn in a Diverse Long-Term Crop Rotation in Ohio

Crop rotation is a cultural practice in disease management used to break the disease cycle, resulting in a reduction of inoculum. In Ohio, crop rotations have been reduced in diversity, with many farmers shifting to corn-soy rotations from more diverse rotations featuring wheat. We investigated the impact of this shift on soil fungal communities under corn by conducting synthetic long-read amplicon sequencing. DNA was extracted from soil sampled during the corn-growing season at two locations in Ohio with replicated long-term rotation plots in a corn–soybean (CS) and corn–soybean–winter wheat (CSW) rotation in 2018, 2019, and 2020. 18s-ITS amplicons were sequenced using Illumina paired with Loopgenomics technology. PERMANOVA analysis revealed that fungal communities were significantly impacted by location, rotation, and time. Shannon and Simpson diversity indices implied fungal species diversity was significantly higher in the CS rotation. Indicator species analysis revealed 20 species indicative of the CSW rotation, including Mortierella, Hymenoschyphus, Ascobolus, and Saitozyma species, and 36 species indicative of the CS rotation, including Fusarium, Neoaschocyta, Zalerion, and Trichoderma species, among others. Indicator species amplicon sequencing variant reads for the CSW rotation were not correlated with the decline in corn yield or soil nitrogen, carbon, or active carbon. However, they were positively correlated with soil organic matter. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY 4.0 International license .

Host antimicrobial peptide S100A12 disrupts the fungal membrane by direct binding and inhibits growth and biofilm formation of Fusarium species

Fungal keratitis is the foremost cause of corneal infections worldwide of which Fusarium spp. is the common etiological agent that causes loss of vision and warrants surgical intervention. An increase in resistance to the available drugs along with severe side effects of existing antifungals demands for new effective antimycotics. Here, we demonstrate that antimicrobial peptide S100A12 directly binds to the phospholipids of the fungal membrane, disrupts the structural integrity and induces generation of reactive oxygen species in fungus. Additionally, it inhibits biofilm formation by Fusarium spp. and exhibits antifungal property against Fusarium spp. both in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, our results delve into specific effect of S100A12 against Fusarium spp. with an aim to investigate new antifungal compounds to combat fungal keratitis.

Endosymbiotic Fungal Diversity and Dynamics of the Brown Planthopper across Developmental Stages, Tissues, and Sexes Revealed Using Circular Consensus Sequencing.

Endosymbiotic fungi play an important role in the growth and development of insects. Understanding the endosymbiont communities hosted by the brown planthopper (BPH; Nilaparvata lugens Stål), the most destructive pest in rice, is a prerequisite for controlling BPH rice infestations. However, the endosymbiont diversity and dynamics of the BPH remain poorly studied. Here, we used circular consensus sequencing (CCS) to obtain 87,131 OTUs (operational taxonomic units), which annotated 730 species of endosymbiotic fungi in the various developmental stages and tissues. We found that three yeast-like symbionts (YLSs), Polycephalomyces prolificus, Ophiocordyceps heteropoda, and Hirsutella proturicola, were dominant in almost all samples, which was especially pronounced in instar nymphs 4-5, female adults, and the fat bodies of female and male adult BPH. Interestingly, honeydew as the only in vitro sample had a unique community structure. Various diversity indices might indicate the different activity of endosymbionts in these stages and tissues. The biomarkers analyzed using LEfSe suggested some special functions of samples at different developmental stages of growth and the active functions of specific tissues in different sexes. Finally, we found that the incidence of occurrence of three species of Malassezia and Fusarium sp. was higher in males than in females in all comparison groups. In summary, our study provides a comprehensive survey of symbiotic fungi in the BPH, which complements the previous research on YLSs. These results offer new theoretical insights and practical implications for novel pest management strategies to understand the BPH-microbe symbiosis and devise effective pest control strategies.

Variations in Morpho-Cultural Characteristics and Pathogenicity of Fusarium moniliforme of Bakanae Disease of Rice and Evaluation of In Vitro Growth Suppression Potential of Some Bioagents

Bakanae is one of the important diseases of rice in Bangladesh that causes substantial yield loss every year. We collected thirty isolates of Fusarium spp. from bakanae-infected rice plants from different agroecological zones of Bangladesh and investigated the variations in cultural and morphological characteristics and pathogenicity. Diversity was found in cultural characteristics, viz., colony features, phialide, chlamydospore formation, shape, and size of macro- and microconidia. Three variants of Fusarium species such as F. moniliforme, F. fujikuroi, and F. proliferatum were identified on PDA media based on their cultural and morphological characteristics. Isolate FM10 (F. moniliforme) exhibited the highest disease aggressiveness in developing elongated plants (26.50 cm), the highest number of chlorotic leaves (5.75), and a lower germination percentage. We evaluated different bioagents against the virulent isolate of F. moniliforme to develop a rice bakanae disease management approach. Four bioagents, viz., Trichoderma spp., Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Achromobacter spp., were evaluated for growth suppression of F. moniliforme. Among the bioagents, Achromobacter spp. and B. subtilis (BS21) showed 73.54% and 71.61% growth suppression, respectively. The investigation revealed that the application of Achromobacter spp. and B. subtilis (BS21) would be a potential candidate for effective and eco-friendly management of the bakanae disease of rice.

Identification and pathogenicity of Fusarium spp. associated with tea wilt in Zhejiang Province, China

BackgroundTea is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world, with significant economic and cultural value. However, tea production faces many challenges due to various biotic and abiotic stresses, among which fungal diseases are particularly devastating.ResultsTo understand the identity and pathogenicity of isolates recovered from tea plants with symptoms of wilt, phylogenetic analyses and pathogenicity assays were conducted. Isolates were characterized to the species level by sequencing the ITS, tef-1α, tub2 and rpb2 sequences and morphology. Four Fusarium species were identified: Fusarium fujikuroi, Fusarium solani, Fusarium oxysporum, and Fusarium concentricum. The pathogenicity of the Fusarium isolates was evaluated on 1-year-old tea plants, whereby F. fujikuroi OS3 and OS4 strains were found to be the most virulent on tea.ConclusionsTo the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of tea rot caused by F. fujikuroi in the world. This provides the foundation for the identification and control of wilt disease in tea plants.

Bacillus subtilis NBRI-W9 simultaneously activates SAR and ISR against Fusarium chlamydosporum NBRI-FOL7 to increase wilt resistance in tomato.

The study aimed to determine the pathogenicity of Fusarium species currently prevalent in tomato fields having history of chemical fungicide applications and determine the bio-efficacy of Bacillus subtilis NBRI-W9 as a potent biological control agent. Fusarium was isolated from surface-sterilized infected tomato plants collected from fields. Pathogenicity of 30 Fusarium isolates was determined by in vitro and in vivo assays. Following Koch's postulates, F. chlamydosporum (FOL7) was identified as a virulent pathogen. The biological control of FOL 7 by B. subtilis NBRI-W9 (W9) and the colonization potential of W9 were established using spontaneous rifampicin-resistant mutants. W9 showed 82% inhibition of FOL7 on a dual-culture plate and colonization levels in tomato plants of ∼5.5, ∼3.3, and ∼2.2 log10 CFU/g in root, stem, and leaf tissue, respectively. Antagonistic activity was shown by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and cell-wall-degradative enzymes. W9 reduced FOL7 infection in net-house and field experiments by 60% and 41%, respectively. Biochemical investigation, defence enzymes, defence gene expression analysis, SEM, and field studies provide evidence of hyperparasitism and induced resistance as the mode of biological control. The study also demonstrates that the potent biocontrol agent W9, isolated from Piper, can colonize tomato plants, control fungal disease by inducing induced systemic resistance (ISR) and systemic acquired resistance (SAR) simultaneously, and increase crop yield by 21.58% under field conditions. This study concludes that F. chlamydosporum (NBRI-FOL7) is a potent, fungicide-resistant pathogen causing wilt in tomatoes. NBRI-W9 controlled FOL7 through mycoparasitism and simultaneously activated ISR and SAR in plants, providing an attractive tool for disease control that acts at multiple levels.

Polyhexanide based contact lens storage fluids frequently exhibit insufficient antifungal activity against Fusarium species

PurposeFusarium keratitis is a severe infection of the anterior eye, frequently leading to keratoplasty or surgical removal of the affected eye. A major risk factor for infection is the use of contact lenses. Inadequate hygiene precautions and mold-growth permissive storage fluids are important risk factors for fungal keratitis. The aim of this study was to comparatively analyze contact lens storage fluids disinfection efficacy against Fusarium species. MethodsEleven commercially available storage fluids were tested. The storage fluids were classified according to their active ingredients myristamidopropyldimethylamine (Aldox), polyhexanide and hydrogen peroxide. Efficacy was tested against isolates belonging to the Fusarium solani and Fusarium oxysporum species complexes as the most common agents of mould keratitis. Tests were carried out based on DIN EN ISO 14729. ResultsAll Aldox and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) based fluids were effective against Fusarium spp., while the majority of polyhexanide based storage fluids showed only limited or no antifungal effects. Efficacy of polyhexanide could be restored by the addition of the pH-regulating agent tromethamine - an additive component in one commercially available product. ConclusionsIn summary, the use of Aldox- or hydrogen peroxide-based storage fluids may reduce the risk of Fusarium keratitis, while polyhexanide-based agents largely lack efficacy against Fusarium.

Self-cascade deoxynivalenol detoxification by an artificial enzyme with bifunctions of dehydrogenase and aldo/keto reductase from genome mining

Due to the severe health risks for human and animal caused by the intake of toxic deoxynivalenol (DON) derived from Fusarium species, elimination DON in food and feed has been initiated as a critical issue. Enzymatic cascade catalysis by dehydrogenase and aldo-keto reductase represents a fascinating strategy for DON detoxification. Here, one quinone-dpendent alcohol dehydrogenase DADH oxidized DON into less-toxic 3-keto-DON and NADPH-dependent aldo-keto reductase AKR13B3 reduced 3-keto-DON into relatively non-toxic 3-epi-DON were identified from Devosia strain A6-243, indicating that degradation of DON on C3 are two-step sequential cascade processes. To establish the bifunctions, fusion enzyme linking DADH and AKR13B3 was successfully assembled to promote one-step DON degradations with accelerated specific activity and efficiency, resulting 93.29 % of DON removal rate in wheat sample. Three-dimensional simulation analysis revealed that the bifunctional enzyme forms an artificial intramolecular channel to minimize the distance of intermediate from DADH to AKR13B3 for two-step enzymatic reactions, and thereby accelerates this enzymatic process. As the first report of directing single step DON detoxification by an interesting bifunctional artificial enzyme, this work revealed a facile and eco-friendly approach to detoxify DON with application potential and gave valuable insights into execute other mycotoxin detoxification for ensuring food safety.

Bacillus velezensis RC218 and emerging biocontrol agents against Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium poae in barley: in vitro, greenhouse and field conditions

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is one of the most common diseases in Argentina, affecting the quality and yield of barley grains. Fusarium graminearum sensu stricto (ss) and Fusarium poae are causal agents of FHB and potential sources of mycotoxin contamination in barley. Conventional management strategies do not lead to a complete control of FHB; therefore, biological control emerges as an eco-friendly alternative in the integrated management of the disease. In the present work, Bacillus velezensis, Bacillus inaquosorum, Bacillus nakamurai and Lactobacillus plantarum were evaluated as potential biocontrol agents against F. graminearum ss and F. poae on barley-based media. Bacillus velezensis RC218 was selected to carry out greenhouse and field trials in order to reduce FHB and mycotoxin accumulation. This strain was able to control growth of both Fusarium species and reduced deoxynivalenol (DON) and nivalenol (NIV) production by 66 % and 79 %, respectively. Bacillus inaquosorum and B. nakamurai were more effective in controlling F. poae growth, and the mean levels of reduction in DON accumulation were 50 and 38 %, and 93 and 26 % for NIV, respectively. Lactobacillus plantarum showed variable biocontrol capacity depending on the strain, with no significant mycotoxin reduction. The biocontrol on incidence and severity of FHB in the greenhouse and field trials was effective, being more efficient against F. graminearum ss and DON accumulation than against F. poae and NIV occurrence. This study provides valuable data for the development of an efficient tool based on biocontrol agents to prevent FHB-producing Fusarium species development and mycotoxin occurrence in barley, contributing to food safety.

Antagonistic activity of secondary metabolites from rhizofunctional bacteria extracts against <i>Fusarium</i>species

Background: Fusarium species remain important fugal pathogens that produce several mycotoxins with adverse effects on both plant and animals. This work aimed to identify biocontrol agent from rhizofunctional bacteria and assess its antagonistic activity against Fusarium sp. using dual culture technique.
 Methodology: Briefly a circular disc of the Fusarium sp. was inoculated at the center of Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) plate and incubated for three days. The bacterial isolates were then inoculated about 2cm from the Fusarium hyphal tips and incubated for three days, and zone of inhibition was examined. Isolates that showed antagonistic activities against the fungi were subculture in nutrient broth for three days and the metabolites were extracted using ethyl acetate. The metabolic extracts were tested against the fungi using the agar disc diffusion method.
 Results: Of the 20 rhizofunctional bacterial isolates screened for antagonistic activities against Fusarium sp., 5 showed active antagonism against the fungi with observed clear zone of inhibition in the dual culture, and microscopic examination of the fungal hyphae showed excessive and diffused hyphal branching with hyphal swelling. Ethyl acetate extracts from nutrient broth cultures did not show any zone of inhibition in dual culture against the Fusarium sp. All the 5 bacterial isolates were Gram positive strains but only 2 isolates (2a and 3K) were lipase positive, which may indicate that the mechanisms of antagonism could be due to the production of enzymes that have the ability to hydrolyze the cell wall and membrane lipids of the fungi.
 Conclusion: The rhizoplane and rhizosphere of plants could be great sources of biocontrol agents and that bacterial isolates 2a and 3K have the potential to be used as antifungal agents against Fusarium sp. Molecular identification of 2a and 3K bacterial isolates to the species level is recommended.

Isolation and identification of fungal diseases infecting carrot plants in Sokoto State of Nigeria

Carrot plants are often afflicted with myriad of diseases that tend to lessen their eventual yield. With the increasing pressure to provide food for the world sever growing population there is need to curtail the adverse effect of these diseases. This study was aimed at investigating the epidemiological prevalence of some fungal diseases effecting carrot vegetables in selected areas in Sokoto state. To realize these, diseased carrots picked from the study areas were investigated to identify the pathogens affecting them. The carrot samples (leaves and roots) were collected from Moreh, Badageni and Ruggar Liman farm areas for fungal isolation and identification. The result revealed ten fungal species from six genera of Aspergillus, Fusarium, Penicillium, Mucor, Alternaria and Acremonium. Out of the fungal species isolated, Fusarium oxysporum was found to have the highest frequency of occurrence with 31.87% and Acremonium strictum had the least with (1.10%). All the farms had one pathogen or the other and are present in both the leaves and roots. Badageni farm had the highest occurrence of the isolates mostly on the leaves followed closely by Moreh farm. The findings revealed that carrots in Sokoto were susceptible to fungal attacks, and Fusarium species appeared to be the most active of all pathogens associated with the fungal diseases as such, carrots should be well washed and if possible cooked well before eating.

Morphological and phylogenetic analyses reveal three new species of Fusarium (Hypocreales, Nectriaceae) associated with leaf blight on Cunninghamialanceolata in China.

Chinese fir (Cunninghamialanceolata) is a special fast-growing commercial tree species in China with high economic value. In recent years, leaf blight disease on C.lanceolata has been observed frequently. The diversity of Fusarium species associated with leaf blight on C.lanceolata in China (Fujian, Guangxi, Guizhou, and Hunan provinces) was evaluated using morphological study and molecular multi-locus analyses based on RNA polymerase second largest subunit (RPB2), translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF-1α), and RNA polymerase largest subunit (RPB1) genes/region as well as the pairwise homoplasy index tests. A total of five Fusarium species belonging to four Fusarium species complexes were recognized in this study. Two known species including Fusariumconcentricum and F.fujikuroi belonged to the F.fujikuroi species complex, and three new Fusarium species were described, i.e., F.fujianense belonged to the F.lateritium species complex, F.guizhouense belonged to the F.sambucinum species complex, and F.hunanense belonged to the F.solani species complex. To prove Koch's postulates, pathogenicity tests on C.lanceolata revealed a wide variation in pathogenicity and aggressiveness among the species, of which F.hunanense HN33-8-2 caused the most severe symptoms and F.fujianense LC14 led to the least severe symptoms. To our knowledge, this study also represented the first report of F.concentricum, F.fujianense, F.fujikuroi, F.guizhouense, and F.hunanense causing leaf blight on C.lanceolata in China.

Analysis of Wheat Grain Infection by Fusarium Mycotoxin-Producing Fungi Using an Electronic Nose, GC-MS, and qPCR.

Fusarium graminearum and F. culmorum are considered some of the most dangerous pathogens of plant diseases. They are also considerably dangerous to humans as they contaminate stored grain, causing a reduction in yield and deterioration in grain quality by producing mycotoxins. Detecting Fusarium fungi is possible using various diagnostic methods. In the manuscript, qPCR tests were used to determine the level of wheat grain spoilage by estimating the amount of DNA present. High-performance liquid chromatography was performed to determine the concentration of DON and ZEA mycotoxins produced by the fungi. GC-MS analysis was used to identify volatile organic components produced by two studied species of Fusarium. A custom-made, low-cost, electronic nose was used for measurements of three categories of samples, and Random Forests machine learning models were trained for classification between healthy and infected samples. A detection performance with recall in the range of 88-94%, precision in the range of 90-96%, and accuracy in the range of 85-93% was achieved for various models. Two methods of data collection during electronic nose measurements were tested and compared: sensor response to immersion in the odor and response to sensor temperature modulation. An improvement in the detection performance was achieved when the temperature modulation profile with short rectangular steps of heater voltage change was applied.

Inhibitory activity to Fusarium spp. and control potential for wheat Fusarium crown rot of a novel succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor cyclobutrifluram.

Wheat Fusarium crown rot (FCR) is a serious problem primarily caused by Fusarium pseudograminearum, a pathogenic agent known to produce mycotoxins, including deoxynivalenol (DON). Cyclobutrifluram, a novel succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor devised by Syngenta, has immense potential to control both nematodes and Fusarium diseases. However, its efficacy in combating Fusarium species, its ability to prevent and reverse the detrimental effects of FCR, and its impact on the production of DON by F. pseudograminearum are yet to be fully ascertained. Cyclobutrifluram exhibited substantial inhibitory activity against Fusarium species, with half-maximal effective concentration values ranging from 0.0021-0.0647 μg mL-1 . It demonstrated significant inhibitory activity toward three developmental stages of F. pseudograminearum, F. graminearum and F. asiaticum. Furthermore, cyclobutrifluram showed both protective and curative activities against FCR and was rapidly absorbed by roots and transported to wheat stems and leaves. Cyclobutrifluram could also decrease DON production by F. pseudograminearum. This investigation has revealed the potential of cyclobutrifluram as a formidable candidate fungicide, particularly in its ability to effectively combat FCR and other Fusarium-related ailments. This novel compound has exceptional pathogen-fighting capabilities, coupled with remarkable systemic translocation properties and a notable ability to reduce the production of DON. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.