FREE PROLINE ACCUMULATION IN WHEAT SEEDLINGS INFLUENCED BY FUSARIUM-CULMORUM INFECTION AND THE PATHOGEN METABOLITE DEOXYNIVALENOL

Polish winter wheat cultivars Alba, Almari, Begra, Kamila, Liwilla and Parada and cv. Caribo were examined for susceptibility to Fusarium cu lmorum infection and growth inhibition by deoxynivalenol (DON) in conc entration 10 and 25 mug/cm3 at seedling stage. All 7 cultivars were fo und to be susceptible to Fusarium culmorum infection and their seedlin gs growth was inhibited by the pathogen metabolite deoxynivalenol. DON caused increase of free proline in seedling leaves 1.18 do 3.26 times dependently on cultivar and DON concentration. Infection of seedlings increased also free proline content in leaves from 12% up to 36% when strain KF 350 of medium pathogenicity was used for inoculation. Proli ne concentration increased from 2.44 to 6.61 times comparative to noni nfected control when strain of severe pathogenicity KF 826 was used in infection experiment. Cultivar Kamila was the most resistant one to F . culmorum infection and DON toxicity.