Within-field variation of mycotoxin contamination of winter wheat is related to indicators of soil moisture

• Published in: Plant and soil Vol. 342; no. 1/2; pp. 289 - 300
• Main Authors: Müller, Marina Elsa Herta, Koszinski, Sylvia, Brenning, Alexander, Verch, Gernot, Korn, Ulrike, Sommer, Michael
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer 01-05-2011; Springer Netherlands; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Contamination; Crops; depression; Depression, Mental; Ear; Ecology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fusarium; General agronomy. Plant production; Geologic depressions; Grain; Grains; Humidity; Infection; Landscape; Life Sciences; Moisture content; Mycotoxins; Physical properties; Physics, chemistry, biochemistry and biology of agricultural and forest soils; Plant Physiology; Plant Sciences; Plants; Regular Article; Soil; Soil contamination; Soil horizons; Soil microorganisms; Soil moisture; Soil pollution; Soil profiles; soil properties; Soil science; Soil Science & Conservation; Soil water; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility. Fertilization. Amendments; Spatial distribution; Tillage; Toxins; Triticum aestivum; Water and solute dynamics; Water content; Wheat; winter; Winter wheat; Zea; Zea mays; Germany; Soil redoximorphic feature; Wheat; Topography; Mycotoxins; Within-field variation; Humidity; Monocotyledones; Redoximorphic feature; Mycotoxin; Variations; Cereal crop; Field; Gramineae; Angiospermae; C3-Type; Vegetals; Oxidation reduction; Soil moisture; Property of soil; Physical properties; Contamination; Hydromorphy; Indicator; Toxin; Soils; Soil water properties; Chemical reaction; Winter crops; Spermatophyta; Soil plant relation; Triticum aestivum
• ISSN: 0032-079X; 1573-5036
• DOI: 10.1007/s11104-010-0695-5

Humidity is an important determinant of the mycotoxin production (DON, ZEA) by Fusarium species in the grain ears. From a landscape perspective humidity is not evenly distributed across fields. The topographically-controlled redistribution of water within a single field rather leads to spatially heterogeneous soil water content and air humidity. Therefore we hypothesized that the spatial distribution of mycotoxins is related to these topographically-controlled factors. To test this hypothesis we studied the mycotoxin concentrations at contrasting topographic relief positions, i.e. hilltops and depressions characterized by soils of different soil moisture regimes, on ten winter wheat fields in 2006 and 2007. Maize was the preceding crop and minimum tillage was practiced in the fields. The different topographic positions were associated with moderate differences in DON and ZEA concentrations in 2006, but with significant differences in 2007, with six times higher median ZEA and two times higher median DON detected at depression sites compared to the hilltops. The depression sites correspond to a higher topographic wetness index as well as redoximorphic properties in soil profiles, which empirically supports our hypothesis at least for years showing wetter conditions in sensitive time windows for Fusarium infections.