Toxigenic fungi collected in maize fields from four states of Mexico

Abstract

Maize is the most important crop for the Mexican society. Phytopathogenic fungi pose a major challenge to this cereal. These fungi are harmful to people and animals, mainly as a result of their mycotoxins. The objective of this research was to identify the fungi found in 18 maize genotypes collected in fields from the states of Morelos, Coahuila, Chiapas, and Puebla, Mexico. Pathogens were isolated in potato dextrose agar (PDA) culture medium and identified using morphological criteria. The pathogens were purified using monoconidial cultures and sheltered at 4 °C ± 2 °C. An analysis of variance was carried out using the SAS® 9.1 statistical software. Fungi from the following genus and species were identified: Aspergillus, Penicillium, Alternaria, Bipolaris, Trichothecium roseum, and Fusarium verticillioides. It is worth mentioning that F. verticillioides and Penicillium sp. are the most common pathogens in maize genotypes, with an incidence of 63.68 and 6.57%, respectively. Moreover, along with genus Aspergillus, they are considered to be the most important toxicological fungi, given the harm that they cause to humans and animals. Therefore, management strategies are needed to guarantee that grains can be safely consumed by society