Systems to reduce mycotoxin contamination of cereals in the agricultural region of Poland and Kazakhstan

Abstract Field trials were conducted at two different geographical locations to study the effect of pesticide protection and its consequence on the mycotoxin level, ergosterol and quality parameters of wheat. The treatments involved the application of: herbicide (aryloxyalcanoic and benzoic acid), a set of two (benzimidazole and strobilurin) or three (triazole and morpholine) fungicides and a mix of herbicide and fungicides. Polish and Kazakh varieties of wheat were monitored in a three-year study. Weed populations were controlled by MCPA and dicamba, and a reduction of mycotoxin in wheat grain was observed at both geographical locations. The most significant reduction of the mycotoxin (trichothecenes, fumonisins and zearalenone) levels resulted from the application of combined MCPA/dicamba (BBCH 19–28) and thiophanate methyl/azoxytrobin (BBCH 44–58 ) and propioconazole/cyproconazole/tebuconazole/triadimenol/spiroxamine (BBCH 68–77). The highest concentrations of zearalenone and deoxynivalenol were detected in the control plots (571.0 and 151.0 μg/kg). The relationships between the fungal biomarker ergosterol and mycotoxins, were observed. The highest levels of ergosterol and contamination with mycotoxin were obtained for the Kazakh and Polish cereals in 2016.