Slovak winter wheat cultivars were evaluated for a level of spike and kernel infection, the content of mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) and the amount of Fusarium culmorum DNA in kernels after artificial inoculation with the fungus F. culmorum (W. G. Sm.) Sacc. The tests included 14 old and 12 modern wheat Slovak cultivars. The cultivars were sown in October 2008 in field conditions of Piešťany and inoculated with pathogen in May 2009. At anthesis, twenty-five spikes from each cultivar were sprayed (block 1) with F. culmorum and spikes were covered for 24 hours with a plastic bag. Old Slovak cultivars had lower area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC), Fusarium damaged kernels, DON content and lower amount of F. culmorum DNA than modern Slovak cultivars. An average kernel contamination with DON in the tested cultivars was 24.9 mg/kg and an average amount of F. culmorum DNA was 10,528 ng/g. The old cultivars accumulated 35.9% less DON and 51% less F. culmorum DNA than modern cultivars. The positive correlation coefficients were significant with AUDPC and DON content, and with the amount of F. culmorum DNA and DON content and AUDPC (P < 0.01). Correlation coefficients were higher when we used quantification of F. culmorum DNA expressed in infection per cent. Our study has confirmed that real-time polymerase chain reaction is very suitable method for evaluation of wheat cultivars for F. culmorum infection and presents less time-consuming, more sensitive and more specific assay than conventional assays.
