Fumonisin B1 and zearalenone contamination of wheat in Croatia and influence of fungicide treatments

In Croatia, a trial was conducted to determine the presence of the Fusarium mycotoxins fumonisin B1 and zearalenone in wheat kernels and to evaluate the efficacy of nine fungicides on Fusarium head blight severity as well as fumonisin B1 and zearalenone accumulation in wheat grain. Fumonisin B1 and zearalenone were detected in all grain samples in mean concentrations ranging from 182.0 to 446.6 µg kg-1 (fumonisin B1) and from 2.59 to 5.33 µg kg-1 (zearalenone). No significant differences were found among fumonisin B1 and zearalenone content in wheat grain for the different fungicide treatments. No correlation was revealed between Fusarium head blight severity and fumonisin B1 or zearalenone content in wheat grain, nor between fungicide efficacy and fumonisin B1 or zearalenone content in wheat grain. Under conditions of high disease pressure, efficacy of the fungicides was between 85.7% (tebuconazole + triadimefon) and 72.1% (carbendazim).Un essai a été effectué en Croatie afin de déterminer la présence de fumonisine B1 et de zéaralenone, des mycotoxines de Fusarium, dans des grains de blé et d'évaluer l'efficacité de neuf fongicides à réduire la gravité de la brûlure de l’épi causée par le fusarium ainsi que l’accumulation de fumonisine B1 et de zéaralenone dans les grains de blé. La fumonisine B1 et la zéaralenone ont été détectées dans tous les échantillons de grains, avec des concentrations moyennes variant entre 182,0 et 446,6 µg kg-1 (fumonisine B1) et entre 2,59 et 5,33 µg kg-1 (zéaralenone). Aucune différence significative n’a été trouvée entre les différents traitements fongicides quant à la teneur en fumonisine B1 et en zéaralenone dans les grains de blé. Aucune corrélation positive n’a été obtenue entre la gravité de la brûlure de l’épi causée par le fusarium et la teneur en fumonisine B1 ou en zéaralenone dans les grains de blé, ou encore entre l’efficacité des fongicides et la teneur en fumonisine B1 ou en zéaralenone dans les grains de blé. Sous des conditions sévères de maladie, l’efficacité des fongicides se situait entre 85,7 % (tébuconazole + triadiméfon) et 72,1 % (carbendazime)

Raširenost bovericina u hrvatskom kukuruzu

The occurrence of beauvericin has been investigated in corn kernel (Zea mays L.) samples collected in 1996 (105 samples) and 1997 (104 samples) from 14 corn-producing counties of Croatia. Corn sample extracts were cleaned up by silica gel minicolumns and analyzed for beauvericin by high performance liquid chromatography with UV diode array detector. Higher incidence of positive samples was found in the 1996 crop as compared to the 1997 crop. In particular, 18 samples (17.4 %) of the 1996 crop were found contaminated with a mean beauvericin content of 393 ng/g and the highest level at 1864 ng/g. Only 1 out of 104 samples collected in the 1997 crop was contaminated with 696 ng/g of the toxin.n Beauvericin co-occurred with fumonisins B1 and B2 and with ochratoxin A in 17 and 4 samples, respectively. The results of mycological analysis of corn samples for beauvericin producing Fusarium species were in agreement with results of chemical analysis. In particular, higher incidence of Fusarium verticillioides (Sacc.) Nirenberg (known as Fusarium moniliforme Sheldon) (3.7 %) and Fusarium subglutinans (Wollenweber & Reinking) Nelson, Toussoun & Marasas (5.3 %) was found in 1996 with respect to 1997 (1.9 % of F. verticillioides and 0.4 % of F. subglutinans). This is the first report on the occurrence of beauvericin in Croatia.Učestalost bovericina analizirana je u uzorcima kukuruza skupljenim tijekom 1996. (105 uzoraka) i 1997. godine (104 uzorka) iz 14 županija Republike Hrvatske. Ekstrakt uzoraka kukuruza pročišćen je na silicij-gelskim minikolonama i analiziran na bovericin s tekućinskim kromatografom velike učinkovitosti (HPLC) s UV-diodnim detektorom. Učestalija pojava pozitivnih uzoraka nađena je godine 1996. u usporedbi s 1997. godinom. Godine 1996. nađeno je 18 uzoraka (17,4 %) kontaminiranih bovericinom sa srednjom vrijednošću pozitivnih uzoraka od 393 ng/g, odnosno s najvećom količinom od 1864 ng/g. Samo 1 od 104 skupljena uzorka godine 1997. bio je onečišćen s 696 ng/g toksina. Bovericin je nađen zajedno s fumonizinom B1 i B2 u 17 uzoraka, a s okratoksinom A samo u 4 uzorka. Mikološkom analizom utvrđene Fusarium vrste slažu se s kemijskim analizama na mikotoksine. Veća pojava Fusarium verticillioides (Sacc.) Nirenberg (poznat i kao Fusarium moniliforme Sheldon) (3,7 %) i F. subglutinans (Wollenweber & Reinking) Nelson, Toussoun & Marasas (5,3 %) nađena je godine 1996. u usporedbi s 1997. godinom kada je ustanovljeno (1,9 %) F. verticillioides i (0,4 %) F. subglutinans. Ovo je prvo izvješće o prisutnosti bovericina u Republici Hrvatskoj

Raširenost bovericina u hrvatskom kukuruzu

The occurrence of beauvericin has been investigated in corn kernel (Zea mays L.) samples collected in 1996 (105 samples) and 1997 (104 samples) from 14 corn-producing counties of Croatia. Corn sample extracts were cleaned up by silica gel minicolumns and analyzed for beauvericin by high performance liquid chromatography with UV diode array detector. Higher incidence of positive samples was found in the 1996 crop as compared to the 1997 crop. In particular, 18 samples (17.4 %) of the 1996 crop were found contaminated with a mean beauvericin content of 393 ng/g and the highest level at 1864 ng/g. Only 1 out of 104 samples collected in the 1997 crop was contaminated with 696 ng/g of the toxin.n Beauvericin co-occurred with fumonisins B1 and B2 and with ochratoxin A in 17 and 4 samples, respectively. The results of mycological analysis of corn samples for beauvericin producing Fusarium species were in agreement with results of chemical analysis. In particular, higher incidence of Fusarium verticillioides (Sacc.) Nirenberg (known as Fusarium moniliforme Sheldon) (3.7 %) and Fusarium subglutinans (Wollenweber & Reinking) Nelson, Toussoun & Marasas (5.3 %) was found in 1996 with respect to 1997 (1.9 % of F. verticillioides and 0.4 % of F. subglutinans). This is the first report on the occurrence of beauvericin in Croatia.Učestalost bovericina analizirana je u uzorcima kukuruza skupljenim tijekom 1996. (105 uzoraka) i 1997. godine (104 uzorka) iz 14 županija Republike Hrvatske. Ekstrakt uzoraka kukuruza pročišćen je na silicij-gelskim minikolonama i analiziran na bovericin s tekućinskim kromatografom velike učinkovitosti (HPLC) s UV-diodnim detektorom. Učestalija pojava pozitivnih uzoraka nađena je godine 1996. u usporedbi s 1997. godinom. Godine 1996. nađeno je 18 uzoraka (17,4 %) kontaminiranih bovericinom sa srednjom vrijednošću pozitivnih uzoraka od 393 ng/g, odnosno s najvećom količinom od 1864 ng/g. Samo 1 od 104 skupljena uzorka godine 1997. bio je onečišćen s 696 ng/g toksina. Bovericin je nađen zajedno s fumonizinom B1 i B2 u 17 uzoraka, a s okratoksinom A samo u 4 uzorka. Mikološkom analizom utvrđene Fusarium vrste slažu se s kemijskim analizama na mikotoksine. Veća pojava Fusarium verticillioides (Sacc.) Nirenberg (poznat i kao Fusarium moniliforme Sheldon) (3,7 %) i F. subglutinans (Wollenweber & Reinking) Nelson, Toussoun & Marasas (5,3 %) nađena je godine 1996. u usporedbi s 1997. godinom kada je ustanovljeno (1,9 %) F. verticillioides i (0,4 %) F. subglutinans. Ovo je prvo izvješće o prisutnosti bovericina u Republici Hrvatskoj

Incidence of virus infections in grapevines from Croatian collection plantations

Evaluation of the incidence of virus infections was conducted in two grapevine collection fields. The first was the National collection of Croatian native grapevine cultivars, situated at the “Jazbina” experimentation station in eastern Zagreb, where more than 120 different autochthonous grapevine cultivars are held, collected from different Croatian vine-growing regions. The second was a regional collection located in Risika, on the island of Krk (the North Adriatic region) containing 19 native cultivars from that region. During February 2009 from both collections, 95 plants were selected and tested for presence of eight viruses by ELISA, including: Arabis mosaic virus (ArMV), Grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV), Grapevine fleck virus (GFkV), Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 1 (GLRaV-1), Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 2 (GLRaV-2), Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3 (GLRaV-3), Grapevine virus A (GVA) and Grapevine virus B (GVB). The dominant virus in both collections was GLRaV-3, present in 75 vines (78.9%) in the National collection and in 73 vines (76.8%) in the Risika collection. The second most frequent virus in the National collection was GVA (60.0%), followed by GLRaV-1 (29.5%), GFkV (24.2%), GFLV (17.9%), ArMV (12.6%), GLRaV-2 and GVB (2.1%). In the Risika collection, GLRaV-3 was followed by GFLV (42.1%), GFkV (36.8%), GVA (32.6%), ArMV (23.2%), GLRaV-1 (11.6%), GLRaV-2 and GVB (1.1%). Mixed infections with two, three of four different viruses were also common in both collections. In the National collection the most common mixed infections were GLRaV-3 + GVA (15.8%) and GLRaV-1 + GLRaV-3 + GVA (14.7%), while in the Risika collection dominant were mixed infections with GLRaV-3 + GVA (10.5%) and GFLV + GLRaV-3 (8.4%). Free of all eight tested viruses were ten vines (10.5%) in the National collection and only seven vines (7.4%) in the Risika collection. This investigation has demonstrated that there has been deteriorated sanitary status of Croatian autochthonous cultivars, and indicates the need for the production of certified virus-free planting material

Shoot necrosis caused by Phoma incompta, a new disease of olive in Croatia

Reddish-brown lesions on young shoots, withering of leaves, cankers on older shoots and shoot necrosis were observed on some olive trees in southern Croatia. The fungus Phoma incompta was identifed as the causal agent of the disease. Pathogenicity of P. incompta isolates was confrmed by inoculating young olive plants in a greenhouse; these plants developed symptoms similar to those observed in the field

Occurrence of Beauvericin in Corn from Croatia

The occurrence of beauvericin has been investigated in corn kernel (Zea mays L.) samples collected in 1996 (105 samples) and 1997 (104 samples) from 14 corn-producing counties of Croatia. Corn sample extracts were cleaned up by silica gel minicolumns and analyzed for beauvericin by high performance liquid chromatography with UV diode array detector. Higher incidence of positive samples was found in the 1996 crop as compared to the 1997 crop. In particular, 18 samples (17.4 %) of the 1996 crop were found contaminated with a mean beauvericin content of 393 ng/g and the highest level at 1864 ng/g. Only 1 out of 104 samples collected in the 1997 crop was contaminated with 696 ng/g of the toxin.n Beauvericin co-occurred with fumonisins B1 and B2 and with ochratoxin A in 17 and 4 samples, respectively. The results of mycological analysis of corn samples for beauvericin producing Fusarium species were in agreement with results of chemical analysis. In particular, higher incidence of Fusarium verticillioides (Sacc.) Nirenberg (known as Fusarium moniliforme Sheldon) (3.7 %) and Fusarium subglutinans (Wollenweber & Reinking) Nelson, Toussoun & Marasas (5.3 %) was found in 1996 with respect to 1997 (1.9 % of F. verticillioides and 0.4 % of F. subglutinans). This is the first report on the occurrence of beauvericin in Croatia