engleski

Resistance of popcorn hybrids to fusarium ear rot and fumonisins accumulation in grain

Fusarium verticillioides is one of the most prevalent ear rotting pathogens of popcorn in Croatia, causing accumulation of fumonisins in grain. Resistance breeding and cultivation of less susceptible genotypes is the only efficient control strategy to prevent mycotoxin contamination. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the resistance of popcorn hybrids to fusarium ear rot, to analyze fumonisins accumulation in grain and to determine the correlation between ear rot rating and fumonisins content. Nine popcorn hybrids were grown at location Osijek in 2009 and 2010. Resistance to ear rot was evaluated in artificial infection with F. verticillioides according to method of Reid et al. (1996). Fumonisin concentration was analyzed using commercially available enzyme immunoassays (Veratox test kits). The rating of fusarium ear rot across two years ranged from 0.4 to 24.2 % and fumonisins content ranged from 0.0 to 8.8 mg kg-1. Significant genotype, environment and genotype by environment effects were found for both traits. Phenotypic correlations between ear rot rating and fumonisins content were moderate (r=0.57 and r=0.68 in 2009 and 2010, respectively). Based on the obtained significant differences among hybrids for fusarium ear rot severity and fumonisins content, the most susceptible genotypes should be discarded. For identification of resistant commercial popcorn hybrids with reduced fumonisins content, evaluation of ear rot severity as well as fumonisins content in multi-environment trials is required.

popcorn; fusarium ear rot; fumonisins

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