ANALYSIS OF FUSARIUM CAUSING DERMAL TOXICOSIS IN MARRAM GRASS PLANTERS

In the European coastal dunes, marram grass (Ammophila arenaria) is pl anted in order to control sand erosion. In the years 1986 to 1991, wor kers on the Wadden islands in the Netherlands planting marram grass sh owed lesions of skin and mucous membranes, suggesting a toxic reaction . Fusarium culmorum dominated the mycoflora of those marram grass culm s that were used for planting. This plant material had been cut and st ored for more than one week in the open. The Fusarium toxin deoxynival enol (DON) was detected in the suspect marram grass culms. Isolated F. culmorum strains were able to produce DON in vitro in liquid culture as well as in experimentally inoculated wheat heads. Pathogenicity tes ts, toxin test as well as RAPD analysis showed that the F. culmorum st rains were not specialized for marram grass but may form part of the W est-European F. culmorum population infecting cereals and grasses. Sto rage on old sand-dunes with plant debris may have led to the high occu rrence off: culmorum and contamination with DON. Marram grass culms sh ould be obtained from young plantings on dunes on the seaward slopes a nd cut culms should not be stored.