Clinical Microbiology: Open Access

Mycotoxins contamination of maize in the season of 2014 and 2015 in the Czech Republic

7^th Euro Global Summit on Clinical Microbiology and Mycotoxins

February 27-28, 2017 Amsterdam, Netherlands

Jan Nedelnik and Klara Konecna

Czech Academy Agricultural Science, Czech Republic
Charles University, Czech Republic

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: Clin Microbiol

Abstract:

Statement of the Problem: Maize is a relatively simple crop in the phytopathology point of view. Only a few pathogenic organisms cause symptoms during vegetation given the soil and climatic conditions of the Czech Republic. The appearance of corn smut is common every year, rust symptoms appear more frequently and primarily ears could be infected by fungi from the genus Fusarium. Discussions of diseases always include their economic consequences. Fusarium infection can be classified as most important from the economic perspective, not only damage plant tissue, but also decreased corn quality due to mycotoxins production. Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: Discussions of the onset and course of a disease always include three basic factors which combine to affect the resulting pathology. These factors are: host, pathogen and environmental conditions. Weather condition of excess precipitation at relatively high temperatures in June and August 2014 caused humidity in the most of maize-growing regions in the Czech Republic and other European countries. The increased humidity resulted in a massive outbreak of infection by Fusarium fungi and huge content of mycotoxins in grain which exceeded the average amount. Damage from borers was very low in 2014 on the other hand. Results: Mean deoxynivalenol (DON) content ranged at the level of 10,700 μg/kg whereas the maximum amount reached 28,750 μg/ kg. The content of this toxin even increased in the later maize harvest. In harvested green matter, DON content ranged on average around 1.4 ppm. This value was around 2 ppm at milky maturity and 10 ppm at full maturity. Conclusion & Significance: The European commission constantly monitors the maximum limits in food and fodder. The EFSA proposed derogation for maize grain from the 2014 harvest, but this has not yet occurred. Commodities with mycotoxins content determined above the limit should be excluded from further processing. Eliminating mycotoxins after their detection in a commodity is practically impossible, as mycotoxins resist chemical, physical and thermal deactivation.

Biography :

Email: nedelnik@vupt.cz