VIEW ARTICLE

Resistance

Effects of Head Blight Caused by Fusarium culmorum on Toxin Content and Weight of Wheat Kernels. C. H. A. Snijders, Foundation for Agricultural Plant Breeding (SVP), P.O. Box 117, 6700 AC Wageningen, The Netherlands; J. Perkowski, Academy of Agriculture, Department of Chemistry, ul. W. Polskiego 75, Poznan, Poland. Phytopathology 80:566-570. Accepted for publication 20 December 1989. Copyright 1990 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-80-566.

Ten winter wheat genotypes were inoculated with three Dutch strains of Fusarium culmorum (IPO 39-01, IPO 348-01, and IPO 436-01). Seed samples were analyzed for several trichothecene mycotoxins and zearalenone. Deoxynivalenol was detected in concentrations ranging from 0 to 48 mg/kg. The mycotoxins 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol, nivalenol, fusarenon-X, and zearalenone were not detected. Interactions between strains and genotypes were observed for head blight and kernel deoxynivalenol content. For each strain, high correlations were found between deoxynivalenol content and yield reduction. Path analysis suggested a relation between deoxynivalenol and kernel weight reduction. Infection by a highly pathogenic strain reduced yield in terms of kernel number. In the case of two moderately pathogenic strains, yield loss was ascribed to lower kernel weight. This is the first report on the relationships among head blight caused by Fusarium culmorum, kernel toxin content, and reduction of yield.