Predicting DON contamination in Fusarium-infected wheat grains via determination of the ergosterol content

After artificial infection with various isolates of Fusarium graminearum an d F. culmorum, kernel infection, deoxynivalenol (DON) and ergosterol conten ts were assessed by means of visual inspection, RP-HPLC and GC/MS, respecti vely, in four winter wheat varieties of different Fusarium-resistance. It w as found that both DON and ergosterol contents correlated with kernel infec tion strongly and positively (r=0.8981 and r=0.8945). Similarly, there was a strong, positive correlation (r=0.8737) between DON and ergosterol conten ts in the infected grains. Since the ergosterol content could be determined with a significantly greater sensitivity than that of the DON, assessment of the former compound can be used as a good and more predictive indicator of Fusarium disease level in winter wheat, requiring minimum amount of grai n material. Furthermore, knowledge of the ergosterol concentration in the s cabby grains can facilitate the practical application of the quality gradin g system of Schnurer (1995) to wheat infected by Fusarium spp.