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Triticum varieties grown as ‘ancient grains’ in New York differ in susceptibility to Fusarium head blight and harbor diverse Fusarium flora

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Abstract

Fusarium head blight (FHB) of Triticum spp. is caused by diverse, mycotoxigenic members of the genus Fusarium. In New York, United States, Fusarium graminearum is considered the primary FHB incitant on common wheat (Triticum aestivum), but there is no record of the Fusarium spp. colonizing wheat crops marketed as high value ‘ancient grains’ (T. dicoccum, T. spelta, and T. monococcum). The incidence and severity of FHB on these crops was recorded at variety trials in 2017 and 2018, and a brief survey of the Fusarium flora associated with symptomatic spikes was conducted at these trials and an additional research site in 2018. A significant difference in mean incidence and severity was observed between crop varieties in 2017, suggesting that partial varietal resistance will contribute to successful FHB management in New York ‘ancient grain’ crops. The survey of Fusarium flora associated with symptomatic tissue recorded seven species or species complexes, based on colony morphology and DNA sequence homology. Fusarium acuminatum, F. avenaceum, the F. graminearum species complex, the F. incarnatum-equiseti species complex, F. poae and F. sporotrichioides have been linked previously to FHB in wheat, while F. armeniacum had not been associated with FHB symptomatic wheat spikes prior to this study. The diversity of Fusarium species recovered raises the concern that mycotoxins which are not routinely tested for may be found in high-value Triticum crops grown in New York.

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Data availability

Nucleotide sequences generated in this study are deposited with NCBI GenBank and individual accession numbers are listed within this text. All other data and material will be made available upon request to the corresponding author.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Jay Goldmark of the Hudson Valley Farm Hub as well as Christian Malsatzki of Cornell Cooperative Extension, Ulster County for assistance in the field and enabling access to research sites.

Funding

This work was funded by Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future, Sustainable Biodiversity Fund; U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Cornell University Hatch Project NYC153437; and U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, under Agreement No. 59–0206–4-006. The latter is a cooperative project with the U.S. Wheat & Barley Scab Initiative. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA

    Michael R. Fulcher, James B. Winans & Gary C. Bergstrom

  2. Plant Breeding Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA

    David Benscher & Mark E. Sorrells

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  1. Michael R. Fulcher
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  2. James B. Winans
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  3. David Benscher
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  4. Mark E. Sorrells
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  5. Gary C. Bergstrom
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Correspondence to Gary C. Bergstrom.

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All analyses were conducted using freely available software. Code will be made available upon request to the corresponding author.

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Fulcher, M.R., Winans, J.B., Benscher, D. et al. Triticum varieties grown as ‘ancient grains’ in New York differ in susceptibility to Fusarium head blight and harbor diverse Fusarium flora. Eur J Plant Pathol 159, 693–699 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-020-02183-7

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