Preharvest Maize Fungal Microbiome and Mycotoxin Contamination: Case of Zambia's Different Rainfall Patterns.

ABSTRACT: The preharvest maize mycobiome may be crucial in defining the health of the crop in terms of potential disease burden and mycotoxins. We investigated the preharvest maize mycobiome structure, including the influence of weather patterns, in terms of rainfall intensity, on its composition. In addition, we investigated correlation of genera Fusarium and Aspergillus with maize fumonisin-B1 and aflatoxin. Forty maize fields from selected districts in the wetter northern (N) and drier southern (S) agroecological zones of Zambia were sampled twice over two seasons (1 and 2). The defined weather variables over the two seasons were low rainfall with dry spell (S1), low rainfall (S2), and high rainfall (N1 and N2). High-throughput DNA amplicon sequencing of internal transcribed spacer

SUBMITTER: Katati B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10304879 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature