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Natural occurrence of fumonisins and their correlation to Fusarium contamination in commercial corn hybrids growth in Argentina

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Abstract

Fifty commercial corn hybrids with different endosperm characteristics, vegetative cycle length and cross class grown in the same geographical area (Cordoba Province, Argentina) were analysed for fumonisin accumulation. All hybrids analysed showed fumonisin B1 and B2 contamination ranging from 185 to 27,050 ng/g for FB1 and from 40 to 9950 ng/g for FB2. Although most of the hybrids analysed had flint-type endosperm, two hybrids with dent-type endosperm (e.g. Prozea 10 and AX 746) showed the highest level of fumonisin (37,000 ng/g) and more FB2 than FB1 (FB2/FB1 ratio 2.42), respectively. There was no correlation between fumonisin concentration and length of the vegetative cycle. Among 18 hybrids examined for Fusarium species contamination there was also no correlation between fumonisin contamination and the level of infection with Fusarium species (Section Liseola). Eighteen hybrids showed fumonisin levels lower than 1000 ng/g. This result suggests that there is some possibility of selecting hybrids resistant or less susceptible to fumonisin and Fusarium contamination.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físico-Químicas y Naturales, Departamento de Microbiología e Inmunología, Argentina

    María L. Ramirez, Sofia Chulze & María M. Reynoso

  2. Facultad de Agronomia y Veterinaria, Universidad National de Río Cuarto, Ruta 36 Km 601, 5800, Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina

    Guillermo March

  3. Istituto Tossine e Micotossine da Parassiti Vegetali, CNR, Viale Einaudi 51, I-70125, Bari, Italy

    Michelangelo Pascale & Angelo Visconti

Authors
  1. María L. Ramirez
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  2. Michelangelo Pascale
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  3. Sofia Chulze
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  4. María M. Reynoso
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  5. Guillermo March
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  6. Angelo Visconti
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Correspondence to Sofia Chulze.

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Ramirez, M.L., Pascale, M., Chulze, S. et al. Natural occurrence of fumonisins and their correlation to Fusarium contamination in commercial corn hybrids growth in Argentina. Mycopathologia 135, 29–34 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00436572

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