Host genetic effect on deoxynivalenol accumulation in fusarium head blight of barley

ABSTRACT One of the major concerns with Fusarium head blight (FHB) of barley is the potential health risks to livestock and humans through the accumulation of the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) in infected grain. To define the role of the host in DON accumulation during the early stages of disease development, we conducted a series of greenhouse experiments. We inoculated single spikelets of greenhouse-grown plants with Fusarium graminearum, moved the plants to a dew chamber, and harvested the inoculated spikelets after 72 h for DON analysis. We conducted a quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis using a genetic mapping population, constructed with the parents Stander and Frederickson, that segregated for DON accumulation after single-spikelet inoculation in two experiments. A single QTL on chromosome 3 explained 18 and 35% of the phenotypic variation in the two experiments. To validate this QTL for DON accumulation, we used a DNA marker to select near-isogenic lines from a family from the mapping population that was segregating at this QTL. Disease symptom development was similar between the nearisogenic lines; however, the mean DON concentration of the lines homozygous for the allele from the high DON parent was 2.5-fold more than the lines homozygous for the alternate allele. A time course experiment showed that this effect on toxin accumulation was observed at 10 days post inoculation. The near-isogenic lines developed in this study should prove useful for further exploration of the role of DON in FHB.     

脱氧雪腐镰刀菌烯醇( DON) 在小麦籽粒中的积累分析

 镰刀菌产生的脱氧雪腐镰刀菌烯醇(deoxynivalenol,DON)污染小麦后对人畜具有较大的毒害作用。为明确DON毒素在小麦籽粒中的积累数量及其与镰刀菌菌株、接菌数量、小麦品种和病害严重度的关系,试验采用单花滴注方法在5个抗病性不同的小麦品种上分别接种9 个禾谷镰刀菌菌株,每个菌株接种1 × 106 、1 × 105 和1 × 104 个/ mL 3 个分生孢子浓度,并利用ELISA 法测定收获麦粒中DON 毒素含量。结果表明,麦粒中DON 毒素含量差异主要是由于不同禾谷镰刀菌菌株产生毒素能力不同所致。接种菌株8003、4020 的所有麦粒中DON 毒素含量均显著高于相同条件下接种其他7 个菌株的小麦。当接种产毒素能力强的菌株时,小麦抗病品种表现出在一定程度上降低DON 毒素积累的能力。不同接菌浓度对小麦赤霉病的发病程度和麦粒中DON 毒素含量有显著影响,在相同条件下,接菌浓度越高,病害严重度越高,DON 毒素含量也越高;反之,接菌浓度越低,病害严重度越低,DON 毒素含量也越低。     

Effect of infection timing on fusarium head blight and mycotoxin accumulation in open- and closed-flowering barley

ABSTRACT Barley has two flowering types, chasmogamous (open-flowering) and cleistogamous (closed-flowering). We examined the effect of the timing of Fusarium graminearum infection on Fusarium head blight (FHB) and mycotoxin accumulation in barley cultivars with different flowering types using greenhouse experiments. In the first experiment, 13 cultivars were spray inoculated at two different developmental stages, and the severity of FHB was evaluated. The effect of the timing of infection differed among cultivars. Cleistogamous cultivars were resistant at anthesis but susceptible at 10 days after anthesis, whereas chasmogamous cultivars were already susceptible at anthesis. In the second experiment, five cultivars were inoculated at three different developmental stages and the concentrations of deoxynivalenol (DON) and nivalenol (NIV) in mature grain were analyzed. Cleistogamous cultivars accumulated more mycotoxins (DON and NIV) when inoculated 10 or 20 days after anthesis than when inoculated at anthesis, whereas chasmogamous cultivars accumulated more mycotoxins when inoculated at anthesis. Thus, the most critical time for F. graminearum infection and mycotoxin accumulation in barley differs with cultivar, and likely is associated with the flowering type. Late infection, even without accompanied FHB symptoms, was also significant in terms of the risk of mycotoxin contamination.     

Development of three fusarium crown rot causal agents and systemic translocation of deoxynivalenol following stem base infection of soft wheat

Fusarium pseudograminearum, F. culmorum and F. graminearum are the most important fusarium crown rot (FCR) causal agents. They have the common ability to biosynthesize deoxynivalenol (DON). To elucidate the behaviour of each of the three species, a comparative study was carried out to investigate symptom progression, fungal systemic growth and translocation of DON following stem base inoculation of soft wheat. FCR symptoms were mainly localized in the inoculated area, which extended up to the second node for all inoculated species. Only the most aggressive strains caused symptoms up to the third node. Real‐time quantitative PCR showed that fungal colonization reached the third node for all the tested species, but a low percentage of plants showed colonization above the third node following inoculation with the most aggressive strains. Fungal growth was detected in symptomless tissues but none of the three species was able to colonize as far as the head tissues. However, even if the pathogens were not detected in the heads, DON was detected in head tissues of the plants inoculated with the most aggressive strains. These results demonstrate that F. pseudograminearum, F. culmorum and F. graminearum, under the same experimental conditions, follow a similar pattern of symptom progression, fungal colonization and DON translocation after stem base infection. Differences in the extent of symptoms, fungal colonization and mycotoxin distribution were mainly attributable to strain aggressiveness. These findings provide comparative information on the events following infection of the stem base of wheat by three of the most important FCR casual agents.     

Effects of fruit maturity and wetness on the infection of apple fruit by Neonectria galligena

Neonectria galligena can cause European canker of apple as well as fruit rot. Healthy unwounded fruits on potted trees of cvs Cox, Bramley and Gala were inoculated with conidia of N. galligena to investigate the effects of wetness duration and fruit maturity on rot development. Overall, the incidence of fruit rot was influenced more by fruit maturity at the time of inoculation than by duration of wetness (6–48 h). Young fruit were most susceptible to infection, with 50% of fruit infected when inoculated up to 4 weeks after full bloom. The susceptibility decreased initially until c. 2 months after full bloom and then increased gradually until harvest. Almost all preharvest symptoms (eye rot) developed only on the fruit inoculated up to 4 weeks after full bloom. All other rots were observed after six‐month postharvest storage under controlled atmospheric conditions. However, the relative proportion of preharvest eye rots and postharvest storage rots varied greatly among three years. The effect of wetness duration was only significant for fruit inoculated in their early stages of development but not for those inoculated near harvest. Regression models were developed to describe the observed effects of fruit maturity and wetness on the incidence of total nectria rots.     

Colonization of soft wheat following infection of the stem base by Fusarium culmorum and translocation of deoxynivalenol to the head

Following inoculation of the base of soft wheat seedlings with Fusarium culmorum, disease symptoms typical of crown rot developed at the stem base and extended up to the third node by plant maturity. Fungus was isolated from all tissues exhibiting symptoms but not from symptomless tissues. Histopathological analysis revealed that the fungus was present mainly in the parenchymatic cells of the stem base and colonized the tissues via apoplastic and symplastic pathways. Host response in advance of pathogen colonization was observed. At maturity, plants were divided into sections from the inoculated area to the head. Heads were also separated into grain, rachis and chaff components. Colonization by the fungus was assessed by isolation from surface‐sterilized segments and quantified by real‐time PCR. Disease symptoms and the fungus were detected up to the third node, while deoxynivalenol (DON) was present in all stem segments and heads. Within the head, the DON concentration was higher in the rachis than in the chaff and grain components. These results demonstrate that F. culmorum can extensively colonize stem tissues but not reach the head by the time of plant maturity. In contrast, DON was detected in tissues beyond those colonized by the fungus, translocating to the head where, although accumulating mainly in the rachis, significant quantities accumulated in the grain. These findings indicate that there is a potential threat of contamination of grain with DON where severe crown rot is present in a crop.     

Seasonal dynamics of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Botryosphaeria dothidea</Emphasis> infections and symptom development on apple fruits and shoots in China

Botryosphaeria dothidea is one of the most important pathogens of apple trees in China. It causes warts and cankers on shoots and fruit rot. In this study, multi-season experiments were conducted to investigate the seasonal dynamics of B. dothidea infection and symptom development on twigs and fruits of cv. Fuji through spraying and rain-splash inoculations. Fruit were most susceptible to infection from late May to mid-August. The length of the incubation period, i.e. from inoculation to the first lesion was observed, generally decreased with the age of fruit at the time of inoculation. Fruit inoculated in May–June developed visible symptoms from early August onwards, with a peak in early September. However, fruit inoculated in September developed visible symptoms within one week after inoculation. Twigs remained susceptible to infection by conidia from the initial extension stage in early May to late September. New extension shoots were most susceptible from June to mid-August and then became gradually less susceptible over time. When inoculated before the end of August, twigs developed visible lesions within the same season. In contrast, when inoculated late in the season, most lesions became visible during the subsequent season. The incubation period on twigs was shorter for inoculations conducted in June–August, with the shortest being 25 days. These results may contribute to the improvement of the management of this disease.     

The Effect of Inoculation Treatment and Long-term Application of Moisture on Fusarium Head Blight Symptoms and Deoxynivalenol Contamination in Wheat Grains

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is an important disease of wheat, which can result in the contamination of grains with mycotoxins such as deoxynivalenol (DON). Artificial inoculation of flowering ears with conidial suspensions is widely used to study FHB diseases. Our goal was to compare four inoculation treatments in which a conidial suspension was sprayed on flowering ears and to study the effect of the application of moisture during kernel setting and filling with a mist-irrigation system. Ten wheat genotypes were inoculated with a DON-producing Fusarium culmorum strain. Inoculation treatments varied in time of application of the inoculum (morning or evening) and in the method of controlling humidity during inoculation (bagging or mist irrigation). A wet season was simulated with a mist-irrigation system, keeping the crop canopy wet for at least 26 days after flowering. The severity of FHB symptoms (area under disease progress curve (AUDPC)), yield loss and DON contamination in the grains were determined. AUDPC data obtained with the different inoculation treatments were highly correlated (r=0.85–0.95). Mist irrigation after inoculation resulted in a higher mean disease severity, but in a overall lower toxin contamination as compared to the non-irrigated treatments. Genotypic differences in DON accumulation were present: for one wheat line toxin contamination significantly increased when irrigated, while two genotypes accumulated significantly less toxin. The closest relationships (r=0.73–0.89) between the visual symptoms and the DON content were obtained under moderate mean infection pressure. This relation between visual symptoms and the DON content deteriorated at higher infection levels.     

Effect of wheat spike infection timing on fusarium head blight development and mycotoxin accumulation

Fusarium head blight in wheat spikes is associated with production of mycotoxins by the fungi. Although flowering is recognized as the most favourable host stage for infection, a better understanding of infection timing on disease development and toxin accumulation is needed. This study monitored the development of eight characterized isolates of F. graminearum, F. culmorum and F. poae in a greenhouse experiment. The fungi were inoculated on winter wheat spikes before or at anther extrusion, or at 8, 18 and 28 days later. Disease levels were estimated by the AUDPC and thousand‐kernel weight (TKW). The fungal biomass (estimated by qPCR) and toxin concentration (deoxynivalenol and nivalenol, estimated by UPLC‐UV‐MS/MS) were measured in each inoculated spike, providing a robust estimation of these variables and allowing correlations based on single‐individual measurements to be established. The toxin content correlated well with fungal biomass in kernels, independently of inoculation date. The AUDPC was correlated with fungal DNA, but not for early and late infection dates. The highest disease and toxin levels were for inoculations around anthesis, but early or late infections led to detectable levels of fungus and toxin for the most aggressive isolates. Fungal development appeared higher in kernels than in the chaff for inoculations at anthesis, but the opposite was found for later inoculations. These results show that anthesis is the most susceptible stage for FHB, but also clearly shows that early and late infections can produce significant disease development and toxin accumulation with symptoms difficult to estimate visually.     

脱氧雪腐镰刀菌烯醇在小麦赤霉病病程中的作用

 脱氧雪腐镰刀菌烯醇(deoxynivalenol,DON)系小麦赤霉病菌——禾谷镰孢(Fusarium graminearum,有性态Gibberell azeae)产生的一种单端孢霉烯族毒素(trichothecenes,以下简称"单族毒素")。作者以病菌正常产毒的野生型菌株GZ3639及其产毒基因Tri5损坏、不能产毒的转化子GZT40(Tri5^-,TRI^-)为材料,对DON在病菌致病过程中的作用进行了研究。结果显示:GZ3639能引起典型的赤霉病症状,病害可由接种小花发展至其它小穗,病菌也可定殖于其它小穗组织;而GZT40仅在接种小花处产生鸟眼状坏死斑点,不能引起典型的赤霉病症状,病菌仅定殖于接种小花处。当病菌与一定浓度(400 μ g·mL^-1)的DON混合处理小花后,GZT40的定殖时间提前2 d (感病品种上)至4 d (抗病品种上),定殖范围可扩大到1~3个小穗,接种20 d后的病小穗率也由病菌单独接种时的2.8%提高到12.5%。DON也使GZ3639的定殖时间提前1 d (感病品种上)至2 d (抗病品种上),定殖范围更广,其所致的病害发展更迅速,接种后20 d的病小穗率由病菌单独接种时的78.0%提高到100%。因此,作者认为,单族毒素在病害发展和病菌在寄主组织内的扩展中起着决定性作用,一旦丧失产毒能力,病菌虽能侵入寄主,但不能在寄主组织中扩展。DON可以缩短病菌成功定殖寄主所需的时间,更有助于病菌在寄主组织内的扩展。     

Effect of nitrogen application at anthesis on Fusarium head blight and mycotoxin accumulation in breadmaking wheat in the western part of Japan

In the western part of Japan, two wheat cultivars, Nishinokaori and Minaminokaori, are currently cultivated for breadmaking. Breadmaking wheat requires a higher protein content compared to the Japanese noodle wheat (the major type of wheat in Japan). This high protein level in the grain is obtained by top-dressing with nitrogen (N) near anthesis. Because such N applications may increase levels of Fusarium head blight (FHB) and consequent mycotoxin [deoxynivalenol (DON) and nivalenol (NIV)] accumulation in the grain, the effect of N application (0, 4, and 8 g/m²) at anthesis on FHB and mycotoxin accumulation in Nishinokaori and Minaminokaori was tested in the greenhouse in 2004 and 2005 and in two fields in 2006. In the greenhouse, plants were spray inoculated at 3, 10, and 20 days after N treatment. In field experiments, colonized maize kernels, which generate ascospores during the testing season, served as inoculum. In all experiments for both cultivars, N application at anthesis significantly increased grain protein as expected, but had no significant effect on FHB and DON and NIV levels in grain. These results suggest that, at least in these cultivars, N can be applied close to anthesis without increasing the risk of FHB and mycotoxin (DON and NIV) accumulation.     

Development of symptoms caused by Erwinia carotovora ssp. atroseptica under field conditions and their effects on the yield of individual potato plants

Infection of seed tubers by pectinolytic Erwinia species can lead to the development of various symptoms during vegetative growth of potato crops, including non-emergence of plants, chlorosis, wilting, haulm desiccation and typical blackleg. The relationships between types of symptoms and yield are poorly documented, and are investigated by following the development of symptoms in potato plants grown under field conditions from seed tubers artificially inoculated with E. carotovora ssp. atroseptica ( Eca ) , and measuring the yield of each plant. Symptoms were classified into five main types (non-emergence, wilting/chlorosis, blackleg, haulm desiccation and plant death). Each plant was scored for types of symptom on four successive dates; plants without visible symptoms were scored as healthy. The method of inoculation and inoculum concentration proved major factors for the subsequent development of symptoms. Disease development was more severe after vacuum infiltration of bacteria into seed tubers than after shaking tubers in contaminated sand. Disease usually progressed from chlorosis and/or wilting to partial or total desiccation on a given plant. Yield losses varied according to symptom type, but the relationship between symptoms recorded and yield also depended on scoring dates. The data suggest that the beginning of tuber growth might be the most suitable stage for predicting yield losses from symptom observations. In both cultivars studied (Bintje, highly susceptible, and Désirée, moderately resistant), the yield of symptomless plants growing from inoculated seed tubers was significantly less than that of control plants, indicating that the presence of bacteria on the seed tuber was detrimental, even in the absence of visible symptoms. Differences in symptom expression in the field between cultivars matched the level of visible infection of tubers at harvest, as Bintje tubers showed a higher incidence of rot than Désirée tubers.     

Resistance to plum pox potyvirus in apricots1

The susceptibility of 115 apricot cultivars to plum pox potyvirus (PPV) has been examined, since 1981, in the experimental plots of the Pomology Institute at Naoussa and Skydra, Makedonia (GR). Inoculation was assured by aphids, transmitting strain PPV-M (Marcus) from naturally infected trees in adjacent peach orchards. For each cultivar, four to six trees were examined for at least 4 years. Observations on symptoms were made on leaves early in May and on fruits at maturity. Most cultivars expressed severe disease symptoms. Those without symptoms were inoculated by grafting onto heavily infected old apricot trees. The grafted shoots were tested for PPV in the following year by ELISA and on the woody indicator GF305. The cultivars which were rated as resistant after artificial inoculation and ELISA came from North America: Early Orange, Stella, NJA2, Sunglo, Veecot, Harlayne, Goldrich and Henderson. Most of these have been crossed with quality cultivars for the creation of resistant hybrids. The PPV resistance of large numbers of these apricot hybrids is now under investigation.     

Fusarium – Problematik bei Körnermais (Zea Mays L.)

In the last few years in maize stalk and ear rots caused by fusarium spp. was increasing, often causing contamination with mycotoxins. Most prevalent was fusarium graminearum, mainly producing Deoxynivalenol (DON) in kernels and stalk. DON is suspected to cause several diseases in humans and livestock. In our study, injection of conidial suspension in the silk channel was the most successful method for artificial inoculation. Due to significant differences between several hybrids, it could be concluded that resistance against the fungus is genetically controlled. Intensity of resistance is varying extremely, depending on environment. The mycotoxin concentration of the kernels was positively correlated with percentage of visible infected kernels, obtaining levels up to 95?ppm. Susceptible hybrids even showed in the rest plant extremely high levels of DON (up to 60?ppm). Naturally infected plants showed high mycotoxin concentrations above and below the main ear, exceeding the recommended level of forage for cattle. High mycotoxin levels in kernels and rest plants show the importance of resistance breeding against fusarium.     

Latent infection of winter oilseed rape by Leptosphaeria maculans

Plants of oilseed rape, cultivars Primer and Jet Neuf, were grown in a glasshouse and inoculated at G.S. 2.4–2.7 with pycnidiospores or ascospores of Leptosphaeria maculans. The plants were kept for a further 2–4 weeks at 14°C and then transferred, together with uninoculated plants, to a polythene tunnel in winter. The majority of stems of inoculated plants did not have macroscopic symptoms of L. maculans infection 6 weeks after inoculation. Examination of whole mounts of peripheral tissue and transverse sections of fixed and embedded portions of these stems revealed intercellular septate fungal hyphae, often deep in non-necrotic cortical tissue, in symptomless inoculated plants but not in uninoculated plants. L. maculans was recovered following surface sterilization of adjacent portions of the same stems. When symptomless inoculated plants were transferred to a glasshouse at 18–20°C, cankers soon developed. The significance of these latent mycelial infections to canker development in the field is discussed.     

Repression of deoxynivalenol accumulation and expression of Tri genes in Fusarium culmorum by fungicides in vitro

A defined medium was developed in which to monitor deoxynivalenol (DON) accumulation, fungal growth and expression of genes involved in trichothecene biosynthesis (designated Tri genes). In liquid culture, DON accumulated shortly after maximum expression of Tri6 and coincident with expression of Tri5. This was generally 96 h after inoculation. The effects of sublethal concentrations of the fungicides azoxystrobin, trifloxystrobin, kresoxim-methyl and tebuconazole on biosynthesis of the trichothecene DON by Fusarium culmorum were studied using this medium. The strobilurin fungicides trifloxystrobin and azoxystrobin significantly reduced the accumulation of DON in culture medium at a range of concentrations. Kresoxim-methyl, also a strobilurin, and tebuconazole, a triazole, did not significantly reduce the accumulation of DON, although levels were lower than those in nonamended cultures. Trifloxystrobin significantly reduced the accumulation of DON when added to cultures before initiation of trichothecene biosynthesis. RT-PCR assays of the expression of Tri6 and Tri5 genes indicated that trifloxystrobin acted by inhibiting the initiation of trichothecene biosynthesis.     

Systemic infection of sorghum and corn by conidia ofSclerospora Sorghi

Conidia ofSclerospora sorghi, obtained from either systemically-infected or local-lesion-infected leaves of sorghum (cv. Vidan), were capable of inducing typical downy mildew systemic infection, including oospore formation, in sorghum and corn hybrids. Very young inoculated seedlings displayed chlorotic systemic symptoms already on the first leaf, and often died at fourth-leaf stage. Systemic infection was induced by conidia on sorghum 1–14 days old at inoculation. Incidence of infection was much higher and symptoms less delayed when the shoot rather than coleorhizas of young sorghum and corn seedlings were inoculated; in two-week-old sorghum with three leaves, inoculation of the coleoptile or of the base of the second and third blades resulted in systemic infection; with coleoptile inoculation partial leaf chlorosis was delayed until the fourth-or fifth-leaf stage, showing that penetration without symptoms had occurred as far as the meristematic tissues of young leaves still within the leaf tube. Conidial inoculation of young sorghum tillers sprouting after cutting down healthy mother shoots resulted in systemic infection. Conidial inoculum is deemed to be the probable major means for systemic infection of corn and sorghum sown in fields in which oospores are not present; inoculation of new tillers of forage sorghum by conidia from infected plants in a neighboring field can explain the rise in numbers of plants systemically stricken. Two sweet corn hybrids — one considered resistant in the field, the other very susceptible — proved equally susceptible when inoculated with conidia at 5 days of age.     

Involvement of antifungal compounds from rockmelon fruit rind (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cucumis melo</Emphasis> L.) in resistance against the fruit rot pathogen <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fusarium oxysporum</Emphasis> f. sp. <Emphasis Type="Italic">melonis</Emphasis>.

Fusarium rot caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis, causes significant postharvest losses in rockmelon crops. Although latent infection is often present in the field, symptoms of the disease may not appear until fruit maturity. The susceptibility of different-aged rockmelon fruit cv. “Colorado” was determined by inoculating fruit at different stages of development with a spore suspension of F. oxysporum f. sp. melonis. Disease symptoms appeared first and were more severe in older fruit compared to younger fruit. Disease symptoms on fruit 35 DAA (Days After Anthesis) and 42 DAA appeared within 3 days of inoculation and rapidly covered the fruit within 5 days. In contrast, disease symptoms on fruit 7 DAA appeared 6 days after inoculation and grew slowly. Extraction of antifungal compounds without involving acid hydrolysis from 7 DAA fruit rind did not show antifungal activity on TLC plates. However, hydrolysis of the ethyl acetate fraction resulted in a strong fungal inhibitory zone on agar plates against colonies of F. oxysporum f. sp. melonis. Separation of the hydrolysed crude extracts on TLC plates indicated the presence of two distinct antifungal zones with R_f 0.36 and 0.13 in young fruit 7, 14 and 21 DAA. The area of fungal inhibition of compound R_f 0.36 was greater than that of R_f 0.13 on the TLC plate. Extracts from mature fruit of 35 and 42 DAA did not have detectable levels of antifungal compounds. The decrease in the susceptibility of rockmelon fruit during maturity may be correlated to a decrease in the antifungal compounds in the fruit with maturity.     

Comparison of visual head blight ratings, seed infection levels, and deoxynivalenol production for assessment of resistance in cereals inoculated with Fusarium culmorum

Seven spring wheat, 13 barley, 14 oats and 20 winter wheat genotypes were inoculated at flowering in 1993 and 1994 with mixed conidial suspensions of 8 isolates of Fusarium culmorum. Four weeks after inoculation, head blight was recorded in the field. After harvest, seed infection was assessed by a Freezing Blotter Test in the laboratory. Seed samples were also analyzed for deoxynivalenol (DON) content. Differences were found in head blight rating, the levels of infected seeds and the DON content between wheat, barley, and oats and between cultivars. Highly significant correlations were found between the percentage of heavily infected seed and the DON content. The weighted mean value of infected seeds and DON content were also significantly correlated. No significant correlation was found between head blight rating in the field and DON content. The level of infected seeds, as determined by the Freezing Blotter Test, was a better indication of the DON content in the seeds than the head blight rating. This visual assessment of levels of infected seeds gives a reliable estimate of resistance to Fusarium.     

Ear Rot Susceptibility and Mycotoxin Contamination of Maize Hybrids Inoculated with Fusarium Species Under Field Conditions

The development of new maize hybrids with resistance to Fusarium infection is an effective means of minimizing the risk of mycotoxin contamination. Several maize hybrids have been investigated for Fusarium ear rot and accumulation of fumonisin B₁ (FB₁), fumonisin B₂ (FB₂), beauvericin (BEA) and fusaproliferin (FP) after artificial inoculation in the field with toxigenic strains of Fusarium verticillioides and Fusarium proliferatum. The year of inoculation had a significant influence on the disease severity and mycotoxin accumulation in maize kernels. Of all the hybrids tested, only Mona exhibited resistance to ear rot caused by F. verticillioides and produced low levels of fumonisins during three years of experiments. In Fusarium-damaged kernels (FDK), fumonisin B₁, fumonisin B₂, beauvericin and fusaproliferin were detected at concentrations much higher (up to 10–20 times) than in healthy-looking kernels (HLK). Animal and human exposure to these mycotoxins can be drastically reduced by removing mouldy and visibly damaged kernels from the commodity.