REPRODUCTION INHIBITING EFFECTS OF DEOXYNIVALENOL OR T-2 TOXIN CONTAMINATED MAIZE ON FOLSOMIA CANDIDA (COLLEMBOLA)

In agricultural production, some tillage practices lead to a higher risk to increase the mycotoxin levels in the soil. Mycotoxins, such as T-2 toxin or deoxynivalenol (DON) produced by Fusarium spp., a plant pathogen mould, occur frequently in temperate climates. Folsomia candida is a mainly fungal feeding collembolan, which has a role in the regulation of the soil microbial community and humification. We hypothesized that F. candida is adapted to the secondary metabolites of the moulds; therefore, Fusarium mycotoxins do not have an effect on their feed intake and reproduction. OECD experiments were carried out with T-2 or DON-contaminated maize and baker's yeast as an alternative food. An additional experiment was conducted without baker's yeast as well as a food choice test. It was found that DON or T-2 toxin caused significant mortality. Severe impairment in reproduction was also observed, accompanied with mycotoxin contaminated feed refusal. Results of feed refusal themselves cannot be the cause of the low reproduction rate; instead, the mycotoxins most likely impair the embryonic development due to their DNA destructive properties. Additionally, DON and T-2 toxin caused feeding inhibition. Both mycotoxins are known to disturb the dopaminergic and serotoninergic neurons, which may disturb the feeding behaviour, and both trichothecenes can cause lesions in the mouth and gut, which may also resulted feed refusal.