Fusarium and deoxynivalenol contamination of durum wheat lines kernels
Authors
Krnjaja, Vesna
Stanković, Slavica
Obradović, Ana
Nikolić, Milica
Savić, Iva
Mandić, Violeta

Bijelić, Zorica
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Fusarium infection and deoxynivalenol (DON) contamination on the kernels of seven durum
wheat lines (six domestic durum lines ZP 16, ZP 34, ZP 41, ZP 74, ZP 120, ZP DSP 66, and
one international durum line Cimmyt 7817) during harvest in two growing seasons (2015-
2016) have estimated. Mycological methods were performed to determine the incidence of
Fusarium spp., while the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) was used to
quantify the total level of DON. Analysis of data was done by statistical method ANOVA
(analysis of variance). Tukey’s test was used to compare means at a significance level of 5%.
Correlation analyses were performed by Pearson’s test.
Based on morphological characteristics, four Fusarium species, F. graminearum, F.
proliferatum, F. sporotrichioides, and F. verticillioides, were identified in 2015. A different
structure of the Fusarium population, which in addition to F. graminearum, F.
sporotrichioides and F. verticillioides, also consisted of... F. poae, F. semitectum, and F.
subglutinans, was identified in 2016. F. graminearum was the predominant species and the
most common cause of Fusarium head blight (FHB) and the primary producer of DON. Other
Fusarium spp. Were isolated sporadically and in a low incidence in the kernels. Fungal
species from the genera Alternaria, Aspergillus, Chaetomium, Epicoccum, Nigrospora, and
Penicillium have also been isolated.
The incidence of F. graminearum and level of DON were significantly affected by the wheat
genotypes and investigated years. However, obtained results for these parameters were
negatively correlated. Thus, in 2015, the incidence of F. graminearum was significantly
higher (75.86%) than in 2016 (63.43%), while the level of DON was significantly higher in
2016 (3.636 mg/kg) compared to 2015 (1.126 mg/kg). The highest and the lowest incidence
of F. graminearum was on the kernels of line ZP DSP 66 (73%) and line ZP 34 (64.50%),
respectively. The highest DON level was 3.854 mg/kg (line ZP 120), and the lowest was
1.658 mg/kg (line ZP 41). The mean DON level was 2.381 mg/kg for all tested treatments
and was above the maximum limit of 1.750 mg/kg prescribed by the European Regulation
1881/2006/EC for unprocessed durum wheat, while the mean incidence of F. graminearum
was 69.64%.
Based on obtained results, tested durum wheat lines showed susceptibility to F. graminearum
and as a consequence higher accumulation of mycotoxin DON. These results indicate the
importance of using less susceptible or tolerant lines to the pathogens of FHB and DON
accumulation in the selection programs of new durum wheat varieties.