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Novel biocontrol agents against Fusarium graminearum and its mycotoxins in maize

Mohamed Fathi Abdallah (UGent) , Marthe De Boevre (UGent) , Sarah De Saeger (UGent) , Geert Haesaert (UGent) and Kris Audenaert (UGent)
Author
Organization
Project
  • MycoKey (Integrated and innovative key actions for mycotoxin management in the food and feed chain)
Abstract
Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) is a devastating fungal disease which affects small grain cereals such as wheat and maize. Although FHB is caused by a species complex, Fusarium graminearum (Fg) is the most important member. Beside the economic losses due to the decrease in yield, the fungus has an impact on the quality due to the production of mycotoxins. Additionally, these mycotoxins have a serious impact on human and animal health upon consumption of the contaminated cereals. Driven by the awareness that reduced tillage systems result in soil structure improvement, conservation tillage practices are often implemented leaving more stubble/straw residues on the field. This organic material can serve as the primary inoculum of Fg. Over the last decade, different strategies for FHB management have been proposed. Biological control using beneficial or non-pathogenic bacteria and fungi is encouraged as it is a safe and sustainable long-term solution in comparison with chemical control. Although crop residues serve as primary inoculum of Fg, we hypothesize that these crop residues also harbor valuable antagonistic fungi which might be used as biocontrol agents. In the current project, several novel fungal endophytes and antagonists have been isolated from European and African crop residues. They were tested for their ability to control the growth of Fg and the production of its mycotoxins in vivo and in vitro. New isolates of Sordaria spp, Clonostachys spp, and Epicoccum spp., were tested for their effects against Fg. In vitro plating assays and maize pot experiments have been performed for each isolated species to assess their biocontrol capacity against Fg. The obtained results indicate that the selected biocontrol agents have a promising effect on Fg growth. Furthermore, measuring the mycotoxin levels (deoxynivalenol, 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol, 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol and zearalenone) through a validated multi-mycotoxins LC-MS/MS method, shows that the selected biocontrol agents have also an inhibitory effect on mycotoxins production. Using a non-targeted approach, with Q-TOF LC/MS we investigated whether these biocontrol agents have a detoxification effect and/or produce inhibitory volatiles or other substances that may affect on the fungus metabolism. The project results will contribute to a great extend to the reduction of fusarium mycotoxins level in grain cereals especially wheat and maize.

Citation

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MLA
Abdallah, Mohamed Fathi, et al. “Novel Biocontrol Agents against Fusarium Graminearum and Its Mycotoxins in Maize.” MycoKey, 1st International Conference, Abstracts, 2017.
APA
Abdallah, M. F., De Boevre, M., De Saeger, S., Haesaert, G., & Audenaert, K. (2017). Novel biocontrol agents against Fusarium graminearum and its mycotoxins in maize. MycoKey, 1st International Conference, Abstracts. Presented at the 1st MycoKey International conference: Global mycotoxin reduction in the food and feed chain, Ghent, Belgium.
Chicago author-date
Abdallah, Mohamed Fathi, Marthe De Boevre, Sarah De Saeger, Geert Haesaert, and Kris Audenaert. 2017. “Novel Biocontrol Agents against Fusarium Graminearum and Its Mycotoxins in Maize.” In MycoKey, 1st International Conference, Abstracts.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Abdallah, Mohamed Fathi, Marthe De Boevre, Sarah De Saeger, Geert Haesaert, and Kris Audenaert. 2017. “Novel Biocontrol Agents against Fusarium Graminearum and Its Mycotoxins in Maize.” In MycoKey, 1st International Conference, Abstracts.
Vancouver
1.
Abdallah MF, De Boevre M, De Saeger S, Haesaert G, Audenaert K. Novel biocontrol agents against Fusarium graminearum and its mycotoxins in maize. In: MycoKey, 1st International conference, Abstracts. 2017.
IEEE
[1]
M. F. Abdallah, M. De Boevre, S. De Saeger, G. Haesaert, and K. Audenaert, “Novel biocontrol agents against Fusarium graminearum and its mycotoxins in maize,” in MycoKey, 1st International conference, Abstracts, Ghent, Belgium, 2017.
@inproceedings{8547699,
  abstract     = {{Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) is a devastating fungal disease which affects small grain cereals such as wheat and maize. Although FHB is caused by a species complex, Fusarium graminearum (Fg) is the most important member. Beside the economic losses due to the decrease in yield, the fungus has an impact on the quality due to the production of mycotoxins. Additionally, these mycotoxins have a serious impact on human and animal health upon consumption of the contaminated cereals. Driven by the awareness that reduced tillage systems result in soil structure improvement, conservation tillage practices are often implemented leaving more stubble/straw residues on the field. This organic material can serve as the primary inoculum of Fg. Over the last decade, different strategies for FHB management have been proposed. Biological control using beneficial or non-pathogenic bacteria and fungi is encouraged as it is a safe and sustainable long-term solution in comparison with chemical control. Although crop residues serve as primary inoculum of Fg, we hypothesize that these crop residues also harbor valuable antagonistic fungi which might be used as biocontrol agents. In the current project, several novel fungal endophytes and antagonists have been isolated from European and African crop residues. They were tested for their ability to control the growth of Fg and the production of its mycotoxins in vivo and in vitro.
New isolates of Sordaria spp, Clonostachys spp, and Epicoccum spp., were tested for their effects against Fg. In vitro plating assays and maize pot experiments have been performed for each isolated species to assess their biocontrol capacity against Fg. The obtained results indicate that the selected biocontrol agents have a promising effect on Fg growth. Furthermore, measuring the mycotoxin levels (deoxynivalenol, 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol, 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol and zearalenone) through a validated multi-mycotoxins LC-MS/MS method, shows that the selected biocontrol agents have also an inhibitory effect on mycotoxins production. Using a non-targeted approach, with Q-TOF LC/MS we investigated whether these biocontrol agents have a detoxification effect and/or produce inhibitory volatiles or other substances that may affect on the fungus metabolism. The project results will contribute to a great extend to the reduction of fusarium mycotoxins level in grain cereals especially wheat and maize.}},
  author       = {{Abdallah, Mohamed Fathi and De Boevre, Marthe and De Saeger, Sarah and Haesaert, Geert and Audenaert, Kris}},
  booktitle    = {{MycoKey, 1st International conference, Abstracts}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  location     = {{Ghent, Belgium}},
  title        = {{Novel biocontrol agents against Fusarium graminearum and its mycotoxins in maize}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}