PRODUCTION OF TRICHOTHECENES AND ZEARALENONE BY ISOLATES OF FUSARIUM SPP FROM ARGENTINEAN MAIZE

Fusarium cultures (27 isolates of Fusarium graminearum, 5 of F. sporot richioides, 5 of F. semitectum, 2 of F. solani, and one isolate of F. equiseti, F. heterosporum and F. oxysporum respectively, from maize ea rs) were screened to determine their ability to produce different tric hothecenes and zearalenone. Twenty of 27 F. graminearum isolates produ ced deoxynivalenol (384-5745 mu g/kg), 7/27 produced 3-acetyl-deoxyniv alenol (322-1840 mu g/kg), 3/27 produced neosolaniol (199-898 mu g/kg) , 5/27 produced diacetoxyscirpenol (205-3095 mu g/kg), 4/27 produced H T-2 toxin (278-1377 mu g/kg) and 13/27 produced zearalenone (200-35 04 5 mu g/kg). No isolate of F. graminearum produced either nivalenol, 15 -acetyl-deoxynivalenol, T-2 toxin, T-2 triol or T-2 tetraol. Only chem otype IA (deoxynivalenol and 3-acetyl-deoxynivalenol) was observed. F. sporotrichioides isolates produced deoxynivalenol (5/5), T-2 triol an d T-2 tetraol (1/5) and zearalenone (1/5). One F. semitectum isolate p roduced diacetoxyscirpenol and F. equiseti and F. oxysporum isolates p roduced only deoxynivalenol. Thus, three of the toxins studied, deoxyn ivalenol, zearalenone and 3-acetyl-deoxynivalenol are most likely to a ppear as contaminants in freshly harvested maize.