Trichothecenes and mycoflora in wheat harvested in nine locations in Buenos Aires province, Argentina.

A total of 120 freshly harvested wheat samples from the 2004 season in nine locations from Northern Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, were analysed for trichothecene natural occurrence and associated mycoflora, and for determining the influence of commonly used fungicide field treatment and the cultivar type on trichothecene contamination. The trichothecenes T-2 tetraol, T-2 triol, HT-2 and T-2 toxin (HT-2, T-2), diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS), nivalenol (NIV), deoxynivalenol (DON), 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3-ADON) and 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol (15-ADON) were analysed by gas chromatography and electron capture detection. Detection limits ranged from 4 to 20 microg/kg. The isolation frequencies of species were calculated. Alternaria alternata, Fusarium graminearum, Fusarium poae and Fusarium semitectum were the predominant fungal species identified as endogenous mycoflora. The type of cultivar and the fungicide field treatment did not affect significantly the trichothecene contamination. The trichothecenes type A detected were HT-2 and T-2 triol toxins and the type B were DON, NIV and 3-ADON. Based on 120 samples the incidences were 21.7% for 3-ADON, 22.5% for HT-2, 27.5% for T-2 triol and 85% for DON. NIV was confirmed in one sample. Mean levels of trichothecene positive samples were between 7 and 2788 microg/kg.

Production of trichothecenes and zearalenone by isolates of Fusarium spp. from Argentinian maize.

Fusarium cultures (27 isolates of Fusarium graminearum, 5 of F. sporotrichioides, 5 of F. semitectum, 2 of F. solani, and one isolate of F. equiseti, F. heterosporum and F. oxysporum respectively, from maize ears) were screened to determine their ability to produce different trichothecenes and zearalenone. Twenty of 27 F. graminearum isolates produced deoxynivalenol (384-5745 micrograms/kg), 7/27 produced 3-acetyl-deoxynivalenol (322-1840 micrograms/kg), 3/27 produced neosolaniol (199-898 micrograms/kg), 5/27 produced diacetoxyscirpenol (205-3095 micrograms/kg), 4/27 produced HT-2 toxin (278-1377 micrograms/kg) and 13/27 produced zearalenone (200-35045 micrograms/kg). No isolate of F. graminearum produced either nivalenol, 15-acetyl-deoxynivalenol, T-2 tosin, T-2 triol or T-2 tetraol. Only chemotype IA (deoxynivalenol and 3-acetyl-deoxynivalenol) was observed. F. sporotrichioides isolates produced deoxynivalenol (5/5), T-2 triol and T-2 tetraol (1/5) and zearalenone (1/5). One F. semitectum isolate produced diacetoxyscirpenol and F. equiseti and F. oxysporum isolates produced only deoxynivalenol. Thus, three of the toxins studied, deoxynivalenol, zearalenone and 3-acetyl-deoxynivalenol are most likely to appear as contaminants in freshly harvested maize.