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Natural occurrence of Fusarium species and fumonisin on maize grains in Ethiopia

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Abstract

Fusarium species causing maize kernel rot are major threats to maize production, due to reduction in yield as well as contamination of kernels by mycotoxins that poses a health risk to humans and animals. Two-hundred maize kernel samples, collected from 20 major maize growing areas in Ethiopia were analyzed for the identity, species composition and prevalence of Fusarium species and fumonisin contamination. On average, 38 % (range: 16 to 68 %) of maize kernels were found to be contaminated by different fungal species. Total of eleven Fusarium spp. were identified based on morphological characteristics and by sequencing the partial region of translation elongation factor 1-alpha (EF-1α) gene. Fusarium verticillioides was the dominant species associated with maize kernels (42 %), followed by F. graminearum species complex (22.5 %) and F. pseudoanthophilium (13.4 %). The species composition and prevalence of Fusarium species differed among the areas investigated. Fusarium species composition was as many as eight and as few as four in some growing area. The majority of the maize samples (77 %) were found positive for fumonisin, with concentrations ranging from 25 μg kg−1 to 4500 μg kg−1 (mean: 348 μg kg−1 and median: 258 μg kg−1). Slight variation in fumonisin concentration was also observed among areas. Overall results indicate widespread occurrence of several Fusarium species and contamination by fumonisin mycotoxins. These findings are useful for intervention measures to reduce the impact of the main fungal species and their associated mycotoxins, by creating awareness and implementation of good agricultural practices.

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Acknowledgments

This research was financially supported by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) via the inter University collaboration between the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (UMB) and Mekelle University (MU) through the MU-UMB (NORAD-phase III) project. The authors also thank the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for supplying agroecological GIS data and the metrological service agency for supplying the metrological data.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432, Ås, Norway

    Hadush Tsehaye, May Bente Brurberg, Leif Sundheim & Anne Marte Tronsmo

  2. Department of Dryland Crop and Horticultural Sciences, Mekelle University, P.O. Box 231, Mekelle, Tigray, Ethiopia

    Hadush Tsehaye & Dereje Assefa

  3. Biotechnology and Plant Health Division, Norwegian Institute for Bioeconomy Research, P.O. Box 115, NO-1430, Ås, Norway

    May Bente Brurberg & Leif Sundheim

  4. Department of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432, Ås, Norway

    Arne Tronsmo

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  1. Hadush Tsehaye
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Correspondence to Hadush Tsehaye.

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Tsehaye, H., Brurberg, M.B., Sundheim, L. et al. Natural occurrence of Fusarium species and fumonisin on maize grains in Ethiopia. Eur J Plant Pathol 147, 141–155 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-016-0987-6

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