NATURAL OCCURRENCE OF FUMONISINS AND THEIR CORRELATION TO FUSARIUM CONTAMINATION IN COMMERCIAL CORN HYBRIDS GROWTH IN ARGENTINA

Fifty commercial corn hybrids with different endosperm characteristics , vegetative cycle length and cross class grown in the same geographic al area (Cordoba Province, Argentina) were analysed for fumonisin accu mulation. Al hybrids analysed showed fumonisin B-1 and B-2 contaminati on ranging from 185 to 27,050 ng/g for FB1 and from 40 to 9950 ng/g fo r FB2. Although most of the hybrids analysed had flint-type endosperm, two hybrids with dent-type endosperm (e.g. Prozea 10 and AX 746) show ed 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 f umonisin concentration and length of the vegetative cycle. Among 18 hy brids examined for Fusarium species contamination there was also no co rrelation between fumonisin contamination and the level of infection w ith Fusarium species (Section Liseola). Eighteen hybrids showed fumoni sin levels lower than 1000 ng/g. This result suggests that there is so me possibility of selecting hybrids resistant or less susceptible to f umonisin and Fusarium contamination.