Risk factors of the occurrence of Fusarium mycotoxins in wheat

The criteria for evaluation of bread wheat quality have recently been completed with limitations of Fusarium mycotoxins content due to health safety. The limits for deoxynivalenol (1250 mu g/kg) and zearalenone (100 mu g/kg) came in force on 1 July 2006. Ones of main problems in+ practical implementation of this legislation (Commission Regulation (EC) No. 1881/2006) are a number and costs of performed analyses. A reasonable approach seems to measure the content of mycotoxins in cereals based on risk analysis when causal factors of their occurrence are considered. The relationships between the quantified presence of mycotoxin producers F. graminearum and F. culmorum (expressed as a value of FPE - Fusarium protein equivalent), the content of visually scabby kernels (VSK) and a level of mycotoxin contamination were examined. Effects of the preceding crop and soil tillage system on the content of Fusarium mycotoxins (deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, T-2 and HT-2 toxins, nivalenol and fusarenon X) were studied in winter wheat in field experiments. Close correlations between the contents of the two legally observed mycotoxins DON and ZEA as well as between the DON content and FPE value were found. The relationship between DON and VSK content was significant for heavily infected grains only. Maize as a preceding crop was confirmed to be a highly risk factor, particularly in combination with reduced soil tillage.