Occurrence of fumonisin B1 and B2 in Fusarium proliferatum infected asparagus plants

Fusarium proliferatum, a fumonisin producing fungal species, is a causal agent of a destructive disease of asparagus called Fusarium crown and root rot. The occurrence of fumonisin B-1 (FB1) and B-2 (FB2) in asparagus plants heavily infected by F. proliferatum has been investigated together with the capability of producing FB1 and FB2 by the fungus. Both fumonisins were detected in asparagus plants colonized by F, proliferatum at levels of 7.4 and 0.83 mu g/g (FB1) and 0.46 mu g/g and 0.06 mu g/g (FB2) in crown and stem samples, respectively. Eight out of nine isolates of F. proliferatum tested for sexual compatibility proved to be members of Gibberella fujikuroi mating population D. All nine isolates produced high amounts of FB1 and FB2 (up to 2504 and 946 mu g/g, respectively) when cultured on autoclaved maize kernels for 4 weeks at 25 degrees C. This is the first report of the natural occurrence of fumonisins in asparagus plants.