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Fungal Disease Management and Mycotoxin Prevention in Cereals

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A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Pest and Disease Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2022) | Viewed by 37084

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Carla Ceoloni

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Guest Editor

Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences (DAFNE), University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
Interests: identification, characterization and recombination-based transfer of alien Triticeae genes into cultivated wheat, targeting resistance to wheat diseases (e.g., rusts, powdery mildew, scab) and abiotic stresses, quality attributes, and yield-related traits; physiological and metabolic responses of wheat-alien genotypes towards biotic and abiotic stresses; sustainable wheat production through development of pre-breeding and breeding lines carrying traits derived from related wild species; organization of cereal genomes (wheat and related species) by genetic, cytogenetic and comparative genomic approaches

Dr. Silvio Tundo

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Guest Editor

Department of Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forest (TeSAF), University of Padua, 35121 Padua, Italy
Interests: molecular plant–pathogen interaction; identification and characterization of cell wall degrading enzymes (CWDEs) produced by pathogenic fungi and bacteria; interaction of CWDEs and their plant inhibitors; virulence factors of necrotrophic fungi; identification and activity of natural molecules against plant pathogens; mycotoxin detoxification in plants

Dr. Ljiljana Kuzmanović

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Guest Editor

Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences (DAFNE), University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
Interests: genetic and physiological basis of wheat yield and disease resistance; chromosome engineering and exploitation of alien genetic variability for wheat improvement; metabolic and molecular characterization of plant response to pathogens; spike fertility tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fungal diseases of grain cereals, including primarily wheat, maize, rice, and barley, cause worldwide substantial reduction of grain yield and quality, which negatively affects the harvest, storage, and subsequent marketability of the products. A further threat is represented by mycotoxins, produced by some widespread pathogens (e.g., Fusarium spp.), which determine a variety of adverse effects (from acute poisoning to long-term effects such as immune deficiency and cancer) to both human and livestock health. Regulations on maximum mycotoxins levels have been established worldwide to protect consumers from their harmful effects, and the public concern on food safety extends to excessive and inappropriate use of pesticides, whose residues are likewise dangerous for consumers, as well as the environment.

An increasing and more demanding world population, coupled with environmental issues, including climate changes, altogether pose as an essential goal the search for new and sustainable strategies to mitigate the many negative impacts of widespread fungal diseases on cereal crops. In this view, the Special Issue aims at collecting the results of recent advances in fungal disease management, addressing different topics, such as:

- Management of agronomic practices;

- Integrated disease management strategies, including use of fungicides, natural molecules with antifungal activity or biological control agents;

- Model-driven decision support systems;

- Identification and characterization of plant mechanisms involved in resistance against fungal pathogens or mycotoxin detoxification;

- Identification and utilization of genetic resources for disease resistance;

- Integrated control measures of fungal infections and mycotoxin accumulation at post-harvest stage.

Prof. Dr. Carla Ceoloni
Dr. Silvio Tundo
Dr. Ljiljana Kuzmanović
Guest Editors

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Keywords

Sustainable agriculture
Biological control agents
Biofungicides
Genetic resources
Antifungal activity
Mycotoxin detoxification
Decision support systems

Published Papers (13 papers)

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21 pages, 2208 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Two-Year Field Experiment for the Integrated Management of Bread and Durum Wheat Fungal Diseases and of Deoxynivalenol Accumulation in the Grain in Central Italy

by Emilio Balducci, Francesco Tini, Giovanni Beccari, Giacomo Ricci, Minely Ceron-Bustamante, Maurizio Orfei, Marcello Guiducci and Lorenzo Covarelli

Agronomy 2022, 12(4), 840; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agronomy12040840 - 29 Mar 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1995

Abstract

A two-year (2018/19 and 2019/20) field experiment was carried out to evaluate the efficacy of recently developed fungicide combinations (with different modes of action) towards fungal diseases on seven bread and eight durum wheat varieties. The trial was performed at the FIELDLAB experimental station of the University of Perugia (Italy). The diseases were assessed under natural pressure except for Fusarium head blight (FHB) for which artificial inoculation with a Fusarium culmorum deoxynivalenol (DON)-producing strain was performed at the full flowering stage (BBCH 65). Fungicides were sprayed at the fully extended flag leaf (BBCH 39) and full flowering (BBCH 65) stages. The incidence of different fungal diseases was visually evaluated and other parameters [grains production (t/ha), protein content (%), test weight (kg/hL), and DON accumulation in grain (μg/kg)] were also determined. In the two years, characterized by different climatic conditions, the fungicide treatments showed efficacy in controlling the observed diseases (Septoria tritici blotch and FHB) as well as in reducing DON contamination. No significant differences were found between treatments. The results highlight that, in the present scenario of commercially available durum and bread wheat varieties, the timely application of the most common fungicides plays a crucial role for FHB and DON management in the presence of climatic conditions that are favorable to the disease. The impact of these results in an integrated disease management perspective is discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Disease Management and Mycotoxin Prevention in Cereals)

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16 pages, 5023 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Reaction of Oat Genotypes to Fusarium equiseti (Corda) Sacc. Infection and Mycotoxin Concentrations in Grain

by Elżbieta Mielniczuk, Marcin Wit, Elżbieta Patkowska, Małgorzata Cegiełko and Wojciech Wakuliński

Agronomy 2022, 12(2), 295; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agronomy12020295 - 24 Jan 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2063

Abstract

Fusarium head blight and the contamination of cereals with toxic fungal metabolites are particularly important problems in global agriculture. The increasingly frequent isolation of F. equiseti from cereal grain and the sparse information in the literature on the harmfulness of this fungus to oat encouraged us to conduct the present research. The aim of the study was to determine the susceptibility of oat genotypes to panicle infection by F. equiseti and mycotoxin content in the grain. Field experiments involving 10 oat genotypes were conducted over three years (2015–2017). Oat panicles were inoculated with a conidial suspension of F. equiseti, which reduced the kernels yield by 38.34%, the number of kernels per panicle by 31.16% and 1000 kernels weight by 12.66%. F. equiseti accumulated type A trichothecenes (T-2 and HT-2 toxins, scirpentriol, diacetoxyscirpenol, T-2 triol, T-2 tetraol) and type B trichothecenes (deoxynivalenol, 3Ac-DON, 15Ac-DON, nivalenol, fusarenone X) in kernels at an average level of 0.0616 and 0.2035 mg·kg⁻¹, respectively. The highest susceptibility to scabs caused by F. equiseti was found for genotype POB 4901/10, whereas cv. Elegant exhibited the highest resistance to F. equiseti in terms of yield reduction after inoculation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Disease Management and Mycotoxin Prevention in Cereals)

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16 pages, 1957 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Thiosemicarbazone Derivatives and Fusarium culmorum (Wm.G. Sm.) Sacc. Infection of Winter Wheat Seedlings on Their Health Status and Soil Biological Activity

by Agnieszka Jamiołkowska, Barbara Skwaryło-Bednarz, Elżbieta Mielniczuk, Franco Bisceglie, Giorgio Pelosi, Francesca Degola, Anna Gałązka and Emilia Grzęda

Agronomy 2022, 12(1), 116; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agronomy12010116 - 03 Jan 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2101

Abstract

Climate change has an impact on agricultural production, including the greater persistence of plant pathogens in the environment. Therefore, the question arises as to how to effectively and safely protect plants by using chemicals, the number of which is decreasing each year. The aim of this study was to evaluate the fungistatic effect of 2 acetylthiophenethiosemicarbazone (2actpTS) and Cis-jasmonethiosemicarbazone (JTS) against Fusarium culmorum (Fc) on winter wheat seedlings. The influence of thiosemicarbazones (TSs) on the health status and phytotoxicity of seedlings and soil biological activity was investigated. Before TSs application (watering or spraying), soil was infected with F. culmorum (strain No. 37). The substance type and method of its application significantly influenced only the fresh weight of the seedlings. The varying phytotoxicity of the molecules depended primarily on their application method to the plants. The highest seedling phytotoxicity was recorded when compounds were applied during watering and the lowest when they were sprayed. The results showed that the application of substances 2actpTS and JTS, both in the form of watering and spraying, had a positive effect on plant health status, as expressed by the disease index (DI) value. The presence of the infectious agent and the type of chemical compound increased soil enzyme activity. The highest total number of bacteria was found in the soil that was infected with Fc and in soil samples where JTS was applied by watering and spraying. The highest utilization of amines, amides and amino acids by microorganisms was found in the samples where JTS was applied. The obtained results will be used to create intermediate products for the protection of cereals against Fusarium diseases, not only at the stage of germination and tillage of plants, but also at subsequent developmental stages. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Disease Management and Mycotoxin Prevention in Cereals)

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16 pages, 980 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Licorice, Doum, and Banana Peel Extracts Inhibit Aspergillus flavus Growth and Suppress Metabolic Pathway of Aflatoxin B1 Production

by Nesrine H. Youssef, Sameer H. Qari, Saleh Matar, Najwa A. Hamad, Eldessoky S. Dessoky, Moustafa M. Elshaer, Sherien Sobhy, Ahmed Abdelkhalek, Hossam M. Zakaria, Ahmed A. Heflish, Ibrahim A. Elsamra and Said I. Behiry

Agronomy 2021, 11(8), 1587; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agronomy11081587 - 10 Aug 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2836

Abstract

Three different concentrations of four (ethanol, acetone, methanol, and diethyl ether) extracts of licorice, doum, and banana peel were evaluated for antifungal and antimycotoxigenic efficiency against a maize aflatoxigenic fungus, Aspergillus flavus. Among them, the licorice diethyl ether 75% extract was intensely active, showing the best wet and dry weight inhibition and exhibiting the highest efficacy ratio (91%). Regarding aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) production, all the plant extracts tested were effective against AFB1 production after one month of maize storage, with average efficacy ratios ranging from 74.1% to 97.5%. At the same time, Thiram fungicide exhibited an efficacy ratio of 20.14%. The relative expression levels of three structural genes (aflD, aflP, and aflQ) and two regulatory genes (aflR and aflS) were significantly downregulated when compared to untreated maize grains or Thiram-treated maize grains. The doum diethyl ether 75% peel extract showed the highest total phenolic content (60.48 mg GAE/g dry extract wt.) and antioxidant activity (84.71 μg/mL). GC–MS analysis revealed that dimethoxycinnamic acid, aspartic acid, valproic acid, and linoleic acid might imbue the extracts with antioxidant capacities in relation to fungal growth and aflatoxin biosynthesis. Finally, the results suggest that the three plant extracts can be considered a promising source for developing potentially effective and environmentally safer alternative ways to control aflatoxin formation, thus creating a potentially protective method for grain storage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Disease Management and Mycotoxin Prevention in Cereals)

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17 pages, 1531 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Naturally Occurring Compounds on Fumonisin Production and fum Gene Expression in Fusarium verticillioides

by Davide Ferrigo, Sharda Bharti, Massimiliano Mondin and Alessandro Raiola

Agronomy 2021, 11(6), 1060; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agronomy11061060 - 25 May 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2449

Abstract

Fusarium verticillioides, one of the most common pathogens in maize, is responsible for yield losses and reduced kernel quality due to contamination by fumonisins (FBs). Two F. verticillioides isolates that differed in their ability to produce FBs were treated with a selection of eight natural phenolic compounds with the aim of identifying those that were able to decrease toxin production at concentrations that had a limited effect on fungal growth. Among the tested compounds, ellagic acid and isoeugenol, which turned out to be the most effective molecules against fungal growth, were assayed at lower concentrations, while the first retained its ability to inhibit toxin production in vitro, the latter improved both the fungal growth and FB accumulation. The effect of the most effective phenolic compounds on FB accumulation was also tested on maize kernels to highlight the importance of appropriate dosages in order to avoid conditions that are able to promote mycotoxin biosynthesis. An expression analysis of genes involved in FB production allowed more detailed insights into the mechanisms underlying the inhibition of FBs by phenolic compounds. The expression of the fum gene was generally down-regulated by the treatments; however, some treatments in the low-producing F. verticillioides strain up-regulated fum gene expression without improving FB production. This study showed that although different phenolic compounds are effective for FB reduction, they can modulate biosynthesis at the transcription level in opposite manners depending on strain. In conclusion, on the basis of in vitro and in vivo screening, two out of the eight tested phenols (ellagic acid and carvacrol) appear to be promising alternative molecules for the control of FB occurrence in maize. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Disease Management and Mycotoxin Prevention in Cereals)

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16 pages, 1707 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Low-Cost Spore Traps: An Efficient Tool to Manage Fusarium Head Blight through Improved Cropping Systems

by Hans-Rudolf Forrer, Annegret Pflugfelder, Tomke Musa and Susanne Vogelgsang

Agronomy 2021, 11(5), 987; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agronomy11050987 - 15 May 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3501

Abstract

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a devastating disease of wheat. Worldwide, Fusarium graminearum is the most dominant FHB-causing species. Its most common toxin, deoxynivalenol (DON), impairs food and feed safety and has an enormous economic impact. Agronomic factors such as crop rotation, soil management and host genotype strongly influence the occurrence of F. graminearum. Infected plant debris from previous crops, on which perithecia and ascospores develop, represent the main source for FHB, and hence, improved cropping systems aim to reduce this inoculum to decrease the infection risk. The best measure to evaluate the disease pressure is spore traps that detect deposited airborne ascospores. Commercial spore traps are expensive and require power sources, thus, they are not suitable for investigations in field experiments with different treatments. In consequence, we developed spore traps containing a Petri dish with Fusarium-selective agar, protected by aluminum dishes and attached on a wooden board. We compared the data of our low-cost trap with those of a commercial high-throughput jet sampler and obtained equivalent results. In field experiments to compare cropping systems, we observed a high correlation between the DON content in wheat grains and the number of colonies from deposited spores. Our spore trap proved to be a highly valuable tool to not only study FHB epidemiology but also to identify innovative cropping systems with a lower risk for FHB and DON contamination. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Disease Management and Mycotoxin Prevention in Cereals)

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13 pages, 1680 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Frequency of Deoxynivalenol Concentrations above the Maximum Limit in Raw Winter Wheat Grain during a 12-Year Multi-Site Survey

by Marine Pallez-Barthel, Emmanuelle Cocco, Susanne Vogelgsang and Marco Beyer

Agronomy 2021, 11(5), 960; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agronomy11050960 - 12 May 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2036

Abstract

Mycotoxins such as deoxynivalenol (DON) in wheat grain pose a threat to food and feed safety. Models predicting DON levels mostly require field specific input data that in turn allow predictions for individual fields. To obtain predictions for entire regions, model results from fields commonly have to be aggregated, requiring many model runs and the integration of field specific information. Here, we present a novel approach for predicting the percentage of winter wheat samples with DON levels above the EU maximum legal limit (ML) based on freely available agricultural summary statistics and meteorological data for an entire region using case study data from Luxembourg and Switzerland. The coefficient of variation of the rainfall data recorded ±7 days around wheat anthesis and the percentage of fields with a previous crop of maize were used to predict the countrywide percentage of winter wheat grain samples with DON levels > ML. The relationships found in the present study allow for a better assessment of the risk of obtaining winter wheat samples with DON contaminations > ML for an entire region based on predictors that are freely available in agricultural summary statistics and meteorological data. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Disease Management and Mycotoxin Prevention in Cereals)

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18 pages, 3465 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Applicability of Species- and Trichothecene-Specific Primers in Monitoring the Fusarium graminearum Species Complex and Its Impact on the Surveillance of Fusarium Head Blight in Winter Wheat in Serbia

by Vesna Župunski, Radivoje Jevtić, Mirjana Lalošević, Sanja Mikić and Branka Orbović

Agronomy 2021, 11(4), 778; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agronomy11040778 - 15 Apr 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2344

Abstract

Monitoring changes in the prevalence of Fusarium species and toxin production is an important tool for the integrated control of Fusarium head blight (FHB). However, methods for the high-throughput screening of Fusarium populations have been developed using isolates with limited geographic origins. In this study, we used species- and trichothecene-specific primers to monitor the F. graminearum species complex (FGSC) originating from Serbia. We also tested the applicability of the primers to the surveillance of FHB. We analyzed two hundred and ten isolates collected from thirty two locations and five winter wheat varieties over a three-year period. Using multiple correspondence analysis (MCA), we investigated associations between Fusarium-damaged kernels (FDK) and location, variety, members of the FGSC, and their predisposition for mycotoxin production. The results revealed that the species-specific primers were not specific for 11% of the F. graminearum population. The primer sets were 98.5%, 95.2%, and 92.4% effective in the multilocus genotyping of Tri7, Tri3, and Tri5 genes, respectively. We found that individual wheat varieties were associated with isolates that could not be characterized using species- and trichothecene-specific primers. Alternaria spp. had a significant influence (p < 0.001) on grain infection with F. graminearum, indicating the necessity to further investigate its impact on the pathogenesis of the F. graminearum clade. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Disease Management and Mycotoxin Prevention in Cereals)

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19 pages, 1007 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Minimizing Yield Losses and Sanitary Risks through an Appropriate Combination of Fungicide Seed and Foliar Treatments on Wheat in Different Production Situations

by Luca Capo and Massimo Blandino

Agronomy 2021, 11(4), 725; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agronomy11040725 - 09 Apr 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2159

Abstract

Among the fungal diseases that affect wheat in temperate growing areas, Septoria Leaf Blotch (SLB) and Fusarium head blight (FHB) result in yield and sanitary risk losses that could be minimized through appropriate fungicide applications. Furthermore, the request from policy makers and the food market to reduce the use of chemical pesticides in agriculture has driven research in the direction of performant defense strategies with a reduced spraying of pesticides. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of different fungicide programs on the control of SLB and FHB, as well as on the grain yield and deoxynivalenol (DON) contamination of common wheat. Field experiments were carried out in 2016 and 2017 in North Italy. Two seed treatments (conventional vs. systemic) and four combinations of foliar fungicide applications (untreated control, application at the end of stem elongation, at flowering, and a double treatment at stem elongation and flowering) have been compared, according to a full factorial design, under two agronomic conditions: plowing vs. minimum tillage. Foliar sprayings at the end of stem elongation were found to be more effective in controlling SLB, while a triazole application at flowering was found to be an essential practice to reduce the FHB and DON contents. The double foliar treatment led to significant benefits, albeit only in the production situations with the highest SLB severity (e.g., in the 2017 experiment, after ploughing and the use of a conventional seed treatment). The systemic seed dressing led to a higher and prolonged STB protection, with significant canopy greenness during ripening in all the production situations. In 2017, which suffered from high disease pressure, the seed treatment with systemic fungicide led to a significant increase in grain yield (+5%), compared to the conventional one. The combination of the systemic seed treatment and the triazole application at flowering guaranteed the highest control of both SLB and FHB, maximized grain yield, and minimized DON contamination. This study provides useful information that could be used to evaluate appropriate fungicide programs, based on a combination of seed and foliar treatments, for wheat yield and sanity in distinct SLB and FHB diseases pressure scenarios. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Disease Management and Mycotoxin Prevention in Cereals)

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11 pages, 258 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Genotype Heterogeneity in Accessions of a Winter Barley Core Collection Assessed on Postulated Specific Powdery Mildew Resistance Genes

by Antonín Dreiseitl

Agronomy 2021, 11(3), 513; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agronomy11030513 - 10 Mar 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 1601

Abstract

Gene bank accessions are necessary for implementing many research and breeding projects. However, a great number of accessions are contaminated or confused. If such accessions are used, the results obtained from these projects are inaccurate and non-reproducible. There are methods that allow almost perfect genotype identification; nevertheless, they are relatively recent and results cannot be compared with the characteristics of the original accessions. Growing resistant cultivars is an environmentally safe and cheap way of disease management and knowledge of diverse resistance genes and their combinations can be used to identify varieties and verify their authenticity and homogeneity. For this purpose, all 172 accessions of the core collection (CC) of the Czech winter barley (Hordeum vulgare) gene bank, originating from 35 countries, were studied. For resistance tests, 51 reference isolates of Blumeria graminis f. sp. Hordei, collected in all nonpolar continents over a period of 63 years and representing the global virulence/avirulence diversity of the pathogen, were used. Only 25 barley accessions were homogeneous (genetically uniform), whereas 147 accessions were heterogeneous due to presence of different genotypes. In total, 17 resistance genes were found singly or in combinations; 76.3% of accessions with identified resistance genes carried alleles at the Mla locus. To purify the CC, progenies of individual plants must be multiplied and authenticity and homogeneity of the seed should be confirmed with resistance tests, and subsequently can be studied with more advanced methods. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Disease Management and Mycotoxin Prevention in Cereals)

17 pages, 422 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Influence of the Spraying Pressure of an Injector Asymmetric Double Nozzle with Variable Flow on Head Fungicide Coverage, Yield, Grain Quality, and Deoxynivalenol Content in Winter Wheat

by Filip Vučajnk, Stanislav Trdan, Iztok Jože Košir, Miha Ocvirk, Mihovil Šantić, Metka Žerjav, Igor Šantavec, Rajko Bernik and Matej Vidrih

Agronomy 2021, 11(1), 43; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agronomy11010043 - 28 Dec 2020

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1928

Abstract

Spraying parameters are important factors when spraying wheat heads against fusarium head blight (FHB) to control the deoxynivalenol level in the grain and to obtain high and quality yields. In 2019 and 2020, field trials were conducted in order to establish the effect of the spraying pressure (2 bar, 4 bar, and 6 bar) of special nozzles with a variable flow rate Agrotop VR 1.5 on the head fungicide coverage, yield parameters, and the deoxynivalenol (DON) value in the grain. The coverage of the front and rear sides of wheat heads increased with the increase of spraying pressure from 2 to 6 bar. In 2019, when the infection with FHB was more severe, no significant differences appeared in the yield and the hectoliter weight at a lower spraying pressure, while the DON value at this pressure approached the maximum permissible level. In that year, the DON value exponentially fell with the increase of spraying pressure. In 2019, the thousand grain weight was higher at the spraying pressure of 6 bar than at the pressures of 2 and 4 bar. The results show that also a lower spraying pressure (2 bar) and a volume application rate (117 L/ha) below the recommended one suffice to retain the DON value in the grain below the maximum permissible level, even in years with more severe infection. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Disease Management and Mycotoxin Prevention in Cereals)

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13 pages, 651 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

Ergot Alkaloids Mycotoxins in Cereals and Cereal-Derived Food Products: Characteristics, Toxicity, Prevalence, and Control Strategies

by Sofia Agriopoulou

Agronomy 2021, 11(5), 931; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agronomy11050931 - 08 May 2021

Cited by 30 | Viewed by 7479

Abstract

Ergot alkaloids (EAs) are a group of mycotoxins that are mainly produced from the plant pathogen Claviceps. Claviceps purpurea is one of the most important species, being a major producer of EAs that infect more than 400 species of monocotyledonous plants. Rye, barley, wheat, millet, oats, and triticale are the main crops affected by EAs, with rye having the highest rates of fungal infection. The 12 major EAs are ergometrine (Em), ergotamine (Et), ergocristine (Ecr), ergokryptine (Ekr), ergosine (Es), and ergocornine (Eco) and their epimers ergotaminine (Etn), egometrinine (Emn), egocristinine (Ecrn), ergokryptinine (Ekrn), ergocroninine (Econ), and ergosinine (Esn). Given that many food products are based on cereals (such as bread, pasta, cookies, baby food, and confectionery), the surveillance of these toxic substances is imperative. Although acute mycotoxicosis by EAs is rare, EAs remain a source of concern for human and animal health as food contamination by EAs has recently increased. Environmental conditions, such as low temperatures and humid weather before and during flowering, influence contamination agricultural products by EAs, contributing to the appearance of outbreak after the consumption of contaminated products. The present work aims to present the recent advances in the occurrence of EAs in some food products with emphasis mainly on grains and grain-based products, as well as their toxicity and control strategies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Disease Management and Mycotoxin Prevention in Cereals)

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13 pages, 608 KiB

Open AccessPerspective

How Maize Seed Systems Can Contribute to the Control of Mycotoxigenic Fungal Infection: A Perspective

by P. Christiaan Biemond, Tjeerd Jan Stomph, P. Lava Kumar and Paul C. Struik

Agronomy 2021, 11(11), 2168; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agronomy11112168 - 28 Oct 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2109

Abstract

Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by fungi on agricultural produce. Mycotoxins can be cytotoxic, genotoxic, mutagenic, and teratogenic, and they are persistent threats to human and animal health. Consumption of mycotoxin-contaminated maize can cause cancer and even sudden death. Health hazards can also occur from consuming products from animals fed with mycotoxin-contaminated feed or forage. The main mode of spread of mycotoxigenic fungi is through air-borne spores originating from soil or plant debris, although some fungi can also spread through infected seed-to-seedling transmission, ultimately followed by contamination of the harvestable product. This perspective assesses opportunities to prevent mycotoxigenic fungal infection in maize seeds produced for sowing as an important starting point of crop contamination. A case study of Nigeria showed infection in all tested farmer-produced, seed company, and foundation seed samples. A schematic overview of the formal and informal seed systems is presented to analyze their contribution to fungal infection and mycotoxin contamination in the maize value chain, as well as to set criteria for successful control. We recommend an integrated approach to control mycotoxigenic fungal infection, including resistant varieties and other control methods during seed production, grain production, and grain storage, with an important role in maintaining seed health. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Disease Management and Mycotoxin Prevention in Cereals)

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