Analysis of Fusarium graminearum Species Complex from Wheat-Maize Rotation Regions in Henan (China)

Fusarium head blight (FHB) and maize stalk rot (MSR), caused by members of the Fusarium graminearum species complex (FGSC), are among the most destructive and economically important diseases in the world. Species identity and the trichothecene chemotype of 312 members of the FGSC from diseased wheat spikes and maize stalks in Henan was determined using phylogenetic analyses and a polymerase chain reaction trichothecene chemotype assay. F. graminearum sensu stricto accounted for more than 93% of the FGSC isolates associated with FHB (N = 168) and MSR (N = 130). The remaining isolates were F. asiaticum. Significant differences were found in the frequencies of the two species within the hosts (P 0.05) for wheat and maize isolates, indicating that the composition of the FGSC with respect to wheat and maize in these fields varied little. The 15-acetyl-deoxynivalenol (15-ADON) trichothecene chemotype represented 92.7 and 98.5...