Diversity and mycotoxin production by Fusarium temperatum and Fusarium subglutinans as causal agents of pre-harvest Fusarium maize ear rot in Poland.

Maize ear rot is a common disease found worldwide, caused by several toxigenic Fusarium species. Maize ears and kernels infected by Fusarium subglutinans contained significant amounts of beauvericin, fusaproliferin, moniliformin, and enniatins. In 2011, F. subglutinans sensu lato has been divided into two species: Fusarium temperatum sp. nov. and F. subglutinans sensu stricto, showing different phylogeny and beauvericin production within the populations of maize pathogens in Belgium. Isolates of the new species-F. temperatum-were also identified and characterized in Spain, Argentina, Poland, France, and China as one of the most important pathogens of maize. Moreover, F. temperatum was proved to be pathogenic to maize seedlings and stalks. We identified Fusarium isolates obtained from diseased maize ears collected between 2013 and 2016 in Poland (321 isolates). Based on morphological analyses, six Fusarium species were identified. Molecular identification performed on the set of selected isolates (42 isolates) revealed 34 isolates to be F. temperatum and only five to be F. subglutinans. Interestingly, the phylogenetic analysis showed that the population of F. temperatum infecting maize in Poland remained quite uniform for over 30 years with only a few exceptions. For the first time, a single isolate of Fusarium ramigenum was detected from the area of Poland. Significant amounts of BEA were found in Fusarium-damaged kernels. The same kernel samples contained also enniatins A1, A, B1, and B. The results clearly demonstrate the occurrence of F. temperatum as maize pathogen in Poland for over the last three decades.

Reaction of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars to infection with Fusarium spp.: mycotoxin contamination in grain and chaff.

This study compares the susceptibility of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars to Fusarium head blight (FHB) and accumulation of mycotoxins in kernels and chaff under different climatic conditions in two locations-Cerekwica near Poznan (Central West Poland) and Sitaniec, near Zamosc, Lublin region (South East Poland). Very high variations were found in the concentrations of mycotoxins (zearalenone, ZEA; nivalenol, NIV; deoxynivalenol, DON; moniliformin, MON) in examined fractions: Fusarium-damaged kernels (FDK) and healthy looking kernels (HLK) and in chaff for individual cultivars in both locations. In most cases, significantly higher concentrations of investigated toxins were recorded in wheat from the area of Lublin than from Poznan (p < 0.05). The highest Fusarium infection rates and mycotoxin biosynthesis levels were observed in the Lublin location, with the percentage of the FDK fraction ranging 8.1-81.6. In this region, ZEA concentration (microg g(-1)) after inoculation with F. culmorum and F. graminearum ranged from 0.02-0.48 and 0.32-1.04, respectively. In the Poznan area, the toxin concentrations were considerably lower, ranging 0.01-0.10 and 0.03-0.13 microg g(-1) for both isolates, respectively. The concentration of DON was significantly higher than ZEA or NIV levels. The levels of MON accumulation (microg g(-1)) in the FDK fraction were between 0.14 and 1.73 (Poznan area) and ND (not detected) to 2.51 (Lublin area). F. avenaceum infection rate ranged 7-35% in samples where the toxin was detected.

Mycotoxins and mycotoxicoses under climatic conditions of Poland.

Ochratoxin A (OA), zearalenone (ZON), moniliformin (MON) as well as trichotecenes and fumonisines (FUM) are naturally occurring contaminants of cereals and animal feed. They pose a health risk not only to humans but also to livestock and, as a consequence, may cause economical losses either due to unfavorable effects on domestic animals themselves or to an increased potential for health effects in human beings consuming mycotoxin-contaminated edible animal products. At present, large-scale studies are carried out in EU countries to determine a safe, admissible concentration of these toxins in cereals and their processed products. The aim of this review is to collect and summarize information concerning the properties, occurrence and toxicity of these mycotoxins.

Organic micropollutants degradation in ozone-loaded system with perfluorinated solvent.

In order to provide higher ozonation process efficiency, new methods of advanced oxidation have been investigated. One of them is two-phase ozonation, sometimes called as ozone-loaded system. In this study, the solubility and stability of ozone in Fluorinet FC40 as well as the influence of pH and contact time on diffusion rate of oxidant from saturated FC40 phase to water was examined. The main purpose of this paper is to compare the removal efficiency of organic compounds with different distribution coefficient (K(D)) in conventional and ozone-loaded systems as well as to reveal the mechanism of the process. It is shown that organic micropollutants with high K(D) diffuse into FC40 where degradation reaction takes place. In a case of compounds with high polarity the perfluorinated phase works as ozone reservoir. The results indicated that oxidant is gradually released from FC40 into the water. In consequence, the oxidation reaction occurs in water, not in perfluorinated phase as it has been so far presumed.