Quality Parameters in Small Grains from Minnesota Affected by Fusarium Head Blight

Abstract

Recent epidemics of Fusarium head blight (FHB) severely damaged the hard red spring wheat and barley crops in Minnesota. Samples of commercial grain were analyzed in 1993 and 1994 to determine the effects of FHB on several quality parameters. Wheat test weight (TW) averaged 832 kg m-3 (55.4 lb/bu), thousand kernel weight (TKW) averaged 27.4 g, and the proportion of visually scabby kernels (VSK) averaged 11.0%. Deoxynivalenol (DON) was detected in 493 of 500 samples (98.6%). The mean concentration was 8.3 μg/g (range = 0.0 to 44.7 μg/g). Scab in wheat could rapidly be estimated using easy-to-prepare visual comparison standards. Scores of percent VSK were correlated with DON concentration at r = 0.897 and 0.908 in 1993 and 1994, respectively. TW and TKW were less effective estimators of DON (r = -0.622 and -0.550, respectively). DON was detected in 100 of 100 six-row barley samples collected during the survey and averaged 10.4 μg/g (range = 0.5 to 39.7 μg/g). DON concentration in barley could not be effectively estimated with grading parameters including TW, TKW, percent plump kernels, or a visual index of kernel discoloration. In 28 samples of oats, DON averaged 1.4 μg/g (range = 0.0 to 6.4 μg/g). Nivalenol was not detected in any of the 628 samples analyzed during the two-year study.

Changes in baking quality of winter wheat with different intensity of Fusarium spp. contamination detected by means of new rheological system

“…The proportion of ash in flour is therefore an indicator of its purity, as increasing ash content indicates an alteration in the kernel seed coat-volume ratio. It is possible to associate this observation with the presence of shrivelled, misshapen fusarium-infected kernels ( Jones & Mirocha 1999). This observation is probably in connection with the lower values of the flour yield with more infected variants which was also confirmed by our results.…”

Factors affecting density of airborne Gibberella zeae inoculum

“…(anamorph Fusarium graminearum Schwabe), is a disease of increasing concern in the production of wheat (Mcmullen et al, 1997). Contamination of the grain by mycotoxins such as deoxynivalenol (DON) (Jones & Mirocha, 1999) has caused economic losses due to decreased quality and yield of the grain. Severe epidemics have been reported in Brazil in recent years which have resulted in considerable yield losses (Panisson et al, 2003).…”

Quantification of Trichothecene-Producing Fusarium Species in Harvested Grain by Competitive PCR To Determine Efficacies of Fungicides against Fusarium Head Blight of Winter Wheat

“…The U.S. Food and Drug Administration advises a limit of less than 1 mg/kg for finished flour products (28). Grain samples from two epidemic years (1993 and 1994) in Minnesota had an average DON content of 8 mg/kg (22). At present there are two major approaches to reducing DON contamination of grain: (i) application of fungicides at anthesis to reduce FHB (20) and (ii) selective breeding of cultivars resistant to Fusarium pathogens (29).…”

“…Current methods of quantifying FHB pathogens include (i) visual assessment of disease severity (20), (ii) counts of infected ears (23) or spikelets (17) at postanthesis, and (iii) counts of fusarium-damaged (22) or -infected (20) kernels at harvest. These techniques estimate pathogen populations indirectly based on disease expression or, in the case of plate counts, directly based on the incidence of the FHB pathogens.…”