Alternaria species isolated from wheat in Argentina.

RAMIREZ, M.L; STURM, M.E; OVIEDO, M.S; CHULZE, S.N

Ghana, Africa

Congreso; Myco-Globe: Reducing Impact of Mycotoxins in Tropical Agriculture.; 2005

Comision Europea

Wheat production in Argentina reachs about 16 million tons per year. At ripening stage wheat could be colonized by Aternaria alternata soon after emergence. This specie is reported as the most common subepidermal fungus of wheat. The aims of the present study were- to identify the Alternaria species occurring on wheat, -to determine the toxigenic profile of the isolated species. The percentages of infection with Alternaria species showed that 33% of the samples have high (78-60%), 40% medium (30-60%) and 20% low (< 30%) levels of contamination. We were able to identify ony two species: A. alternata and A. infectoria among the species isolated. Alternaria alternata strains were able to produced altenuene (ALT), alternariol (AOH), alternariol monomethyl ether (AME), tenuazonic acid (TA) and altertoxin I (ATX-I). Among the A. infectoria strains we found different profiles: ALT producers, ALT, AOH and AME producers or AOH producers and also no producers of any of the metabolites under study. The results suggest a potencial risk to found Alternaria mycotoxins in wheat.