Abstract
To identify varietal differences in deoxynivalenol (DON) and deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside (D3G) content in forage corn in Japan, field experiments involving fungal inoculations were conducted. High levels of DON content were observed in both the silk insertion and kernel injection experimental plots, probably because of favorable environmental conditions including that of temperature and rainfall. A variety ‘Kimimaru’, resistant to Fusarium ear rot and fumonisin contamination, is a key contributor to DON contamination resistance. D3G concentration was lower than that of DON in all experimental plots. Some varieties had low DON content and high D3G/DON ratio in the silk insertion. Since the D3G/DON ratio is an indicator of DON detoxification activity, further evaluation of these varieties is required. The coefficients of determination for DON and D3G content were significant in both plots (R2 = 0.90 and 0.54, respectively). Although the toxicity of D3G is lower than that of DON, most of the varieties examined in this study accumulated non-negligible D3G. Since the data in this study was obtained from a single-year trial, further studies are required for future breeding and stable forage supply.
