The occurrence of Fusarium poae (Peck) Wollenw. on oat (Avena sativa L.) panicles and its harmfulness

Field observations of oat panicles carried out in the fields of Danko Plant Breeding Company in the period 2006–2007 and in the fields of Strzelce Plant Breeding Company in 2008 showed the occurrence of panicles with <em>Fusarium </em>head blight symptoms in each growing season. In 2006 the percentage of such panicles ranged from 0.25 to 1.5%, in 2007 from 2.0 to 9.0%, whereas in 2008 from 0.5 to 8.0%. The species <em>Fusarium poae </em>was the main causal agent of <em>Fusarium </em>head blight. A study on inoculation of panicles of 12 genotypes of oats with <em>Fusarium poae </em>strain no. 35, which was conducted in 2008 in experimental fields near the city of Zamość, determined the number of kernels per panicle, grain yield from 40 panicles (4×10 panicles), and 1000-kernels weight (TKW) after the harvest of the crop at full grain maturity. Compared to the control, the lowest reduction in the number of kernels per panicle was found in the case of the cultivar 'Krezus' (88.69% of the control), while the highest one in 'Szakal' (22.46% of the control). As a result of inoculation of panicles with <em>F. poae</em>, the breeding line STH 8107 was characterized by the lowest decrease in kernels yield (69.76% of the control), whereas the highest decrease was found in the breeding line CHD 1430/02 (14.26% of the control). Compared to the control, the lowest reduction in TKW was observed in the breeding line STH 8107 (96.46% of the control), whereas the highest one in the breeding line CHD 1430/02 (45.06% of the control). The presence of secondary metabolites of <em>F. poae </em>and group A trichothecene compounds: HT-2 toxins (from 0 to 0.013 mg × kg<sup>-1</sup>), diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS) (from 0 to 0.002 mg × kg<sup>-1</sup>), T-2 tetraol (from 0.001 to 0.014 mg x g<sup>-1</sup>), and scirpentriol (from 0.008 to 0.074 mg × kg<sup>-1</sup>), was found in infected oat kernels. Group B trichothecenes: nivalenol (from 0 to 0.157 mg × g<sup>-1</sup>), deoxynivalenol (DON) (from 0 to 0.127 mg × kg<sup>-1</sup>) as well as its acetylated derivatives: 3-AcDON (from 0 to 0.059 mg × kg<sup>-1</sup>) and 15-Ac DON (from 0 to 0.288 mg × kg<sup>-1</sup>), were also present in oat kernels obtained from panicles artificially infected with <em>Fusarium poae</em>.