Performance of winter triticale lines under high disease (Fusarium head blight) pressure

Resistance to Fusarium head blight of 29 winter triticale lines and 3 cultivars was evaluated. Triticale was sown in field experiments in two locations. At flowering, triticale heads were inoculated with three Fusarium culmorum isolates. FHB index was scored and after the harvest percentage of Fusarium damaged kernels was assessed. Grain was analyzed for a content of trichothecenes B (deoxynivalenol and derivatives, nivalenol) and zearalenone. The average FHB indexes were similar in both locations and amounted 19.8% in Radzików, and 19.9%. in Cerekwica. Percentage of Fusarium damaged kernels was higher in Cerekwica (53.7%) than in Radzików (26.8%). An average content of DON in Radzików amounted to 8.690 ppm and was lower than in the second locaiion--19.543 ppm. In Cerekwica there were also large quantities of NIV in grain. The average content was 10.048 ppm, while in Radzików it was very low--0.324 ppm. Considerable amounts of DON derivatives in both locations were detected (1,815 ppm of 3AcDON and 1,913 ppm of 15AcDON). The content of the ZON in the grain from Cerekwica was very high and amounted to 1123 ppb, while in Radzików it was 6 times lower--200 ppb. Relationships between FHB index and mycotoxin contents were statistically insignificant in both locations. In contrast, FDK percentages correlated significantly with concentration of mycotoxins. In both locations the parallel experiments with 36 winter wheat were carried out. Triticale proved to be less infected than wheat. However, the content of trichothecenes, was higher in triticale grain than in wheat grain.