Effects of infection time and moisture on development of ear blight and deoxynivalenol production by Fusarium spp. in wheat

• Published in: Annals of applied biology Vol. 134; no. 3; pp. 277 - 283
• Main Authors: LACEY, J., BATEMAN, G L, MIROCHA, C J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-06-1999; Blackwell
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; deoxynivalenol; ear blight; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fungal plant pathogens; Fusarium culmorum; Fusarium spp; mycotoxins; Pathology, epidemiology, host-fungus relationships. Damages, economic importance; Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection; Wheat; Disease development; Monocotyledones; Plant pathogen; Interspecific comparison; Mycotoxin; Environmental factor; Cereal crop; Fungi; Infection; Toxin; Time dependence; Storage; Gramineae; Angiospermae; Humidity; Fusarium; Spermatophyta; Developmental stage; Fungi Imperfecti; Triticum aestivum; Thallophyta
• ISSN: 0003-4746; 1744-7348
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1744-7348.1999.tb05265.x

Summary
Wheat ears were inoculated with conidia of Fusarium spp. at different growth stages between ear emergence and harvest and moist conditions were maintained for up to 7 days subsequently by mist irrigation. Of the fungi tested (Fusarium culmorum, F. avenaceum, F. tricinctum, F. sporotrichioides and Microdochium nivale), only F. culmorum produced ear blight symptoms and grain samples were found subsequently to contain deoxynivalenol. Most ear infection and deoxynivalenol formation occurred following inoculation at about mid‐anthesis. Small amounts of deoxynivalenol were formed and some F. culmorum was isolated even in the absence of ear blight symptoms. An overnight wet period was sufficient to initiate infection and deoxynivalenol formation but both were increased by extending the wet period up to at least 3 days. Recovery of Fusarium spp. from harvested grain was usually possible whether or not symptoms developed. F. culmorum usually persisted and often increased to moderately high levels after storage for 7 wk in a range of moisture conditions.