NATURAL CONTAMINATION OF SPRING BARLEY WITH GROUP-A TRICHOTHECENE MYCOTOXINS IN SOUTH-EASTERN POLAND

Strains (10 705) of microscopic fungi were isolated from spring barley heads in the region of Lublin (south-eastern Poland). Fusarium sporot richioides Sherb was found in 418 (3.9%) of isolated strains. Group A trichothecene mycotoxins were detected in the collected barley kernels colonized by F. sporotrichioides, with Fusarium head blight symptoms. Among 24 samples analysed, 12 were T-2 toxin positive in a range of c ontamination from 0.02 to 2.40 mu g/g (average 0.45), while in five sa mples HT-2 toxin ranged from 0.01 to 0.37 mu g/g (average 0.23) and T- 2 tetraol was detected in two samples in a range of 0.01-0.21 mu g/g ( average 0.11). Twelve samples were free of detectable amounts of the t oxic metabolites analysed.