RESEARCH PAPER
THE EFFECT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS ON ERGOSTEROL AND TRICHOTHECENE CONTENT OF NATURALLY CONTAMINATED OAT GRAIN
 
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1
Department of Chemistry, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poland
 
2
Department of Plant Breeding and Seed Production, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Poland
 
 
Corresponding author
Juliusz Perkowski   

Department of Chemistry, The Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 75, 60-625 Poznań, Poland.
 
 
Ann Agric Environ Med. 2008;15(2):271-276
 
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ABSTRACT
Oat plants, similar to other cereals, are susceptible to invasion by fungal pathogens and saprophytes, but the severity of disease symptoms and the extent of fungal growth depend to a considerable degree on environmental conditions. This study aimed to analyse the dependence of ergosterol and trichothecene production in oat grain on environmental conditions. Three oat cultivars were cultivated in 10 localities across Poland under natural conditions of fungal infection. Analysis of the effect of weather conditions during the growing season on ergosterol content and total trichothecene Fusarium toxin content in grain showed that they are negatively correlated with the sum of precipitation in the dry month of June, i.e. at the flowering stage of oats. Significant rainfall in July (256% multiannual average) resulted in a considerable growth of saprophytic fungi and, as a consequence, in high ERG levels in grain (mean 14.0 mg/kg). Although the total trichothecene content was relatively low (< 150 μg/kg), a significant correlation was observed between this trait and ergosterol content of grain (r = 0.7313). Higher values of correlation coefficients were recorded for the dependence of trichotecene A, as well as trichothecene A and NIV, and ERG levels, amounting to r = 0.8703 and r = 0.7748, respectively. This was probably caused by specifi c weather conditions manifested by slight precipitation during panicle flowering, which promoted the growth of pathogens (F. poae, F. sporotrichioides) producing trichothecenes A (T-2 toxin, HT-2 toxin and NIV). In addition, a signifi cant influence of locality on values of both traits was recorded. Variation between cultivars was not significant.
eISSN:1898-2263
ISSN:1232-1966
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