Miller J D
Department of Chemistry, Ottawa-Carleton Institute of Chemistry, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Environ Health Perspect. 2001 May;109 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):321-4. doi: 10.1289/ehp.01109s2321.
The two important Fusarium ear rots of corn, Gibberella ear rot (Fusarium graminearum, formally F. moniliforme and allied species) and Fusarium ear rot (F. verticillioides and allied species) grow under different environmental conditions. F. graminearum grows well only between 26 and 28 degrees C and requires rain both at silking and during disease progression. F. verticillioides grows well at higher temperatures, and ear rot and fumonisin accumulation are associated with drought and insect stress and growing hybrids outside their areas of adaptation. In southern Transkei, where esophageal cancer has been associated with the consumption of F. verticillioides and fumonisin-contaminated corn, environmental conditions favor this fungus in most years. In the nearby areas where the soils, crops, food consumption, and populations are the same and where esophageal cancer is low, temperatures are cooler and F. graminearum is favored. Although F. verticillioides is associated with a disease of corn, it may be that this fungus is a mutualistic endophyte of the plant. Perhaps because of this, breeding for resistance to Fusarium ear rot has produced inconclusive results to date. The best available strategies for reducing the risk of fumonisin contents of maize are to ensure that hybrids are adapted to the environment and to limit drought stress and insect herbivory. It may also be necessary to make use of alternative strategies such as producing hybrids that contain enzymes to degrade fumonisin as it is produced.
玉米的两种重要镰刀菌穗腐病，即赤霉穗腐病（禾谷镰刀菌，原称串珠镰刀菌及相关种）和镰刀菌穗腐病（轮枝镰刀菌及相关种），在不同环境条件下生长。禾谷镰刀菌仅在26至28摄氏度之间生长良好，并且在抽丝期和病害发展期间都需要降雨。轮枝镰刀菌在较高温度下生长良好，穗腐病和伏马毒素积累与干旱、昆虫胁迫以及在其适应区域之外种植杂交种有关。在特兰斯凯南部，食管癌与食用被轮枝镰刀菌和伏马毒素污染的玉米有关，大多数年份的环境条件有利于这种真菌生长。在附近土壤、作物、食物消费和人口情况相同且食管癌发病率较低的地区，温度较低，禾谷镰刀菌更易生长。虽然轮枝镰刀菌与玉米的一种病害有关，但这种真菌可能是植物的一种共生内生菌。也许正因为如此，迄今为止，针对镰刀菌穗腐病的抗性育种尚未取得确凿结果。降低玉米伏马毒素含量风险的最佳可用策略是确保杂交种适应环境，并限制干旱胁迫和昆虫取食。可能还需要采用替代策略，比如培育能产生降解伏马毒素的酶的杂交种。
