Grain samples of two maize hybrids, medium early (ZP434) and late maturity
(ZP704), collected during harvest in 2008 were investigated for contamination
by fungi. Grains were plated on agar media and grown fungi were identified by
morphological macroscopic and microscopic characteristics on potato-dextrose
agar (PDA) and synthetic nutrient agar (SNA). Species of the genus Fusarium
were the most common in both hybrids, and their presence amounted to 33.89%
(ZP434) and 42% (ZP704). Other fungi of genera, Acremonium, Alternaria,
Aspergillus, Chaetomium, Cladosporium, Nigrospora, Penicillium, Rhizopus and
Trichotecium, were isolated from 0 to 41%. Four species belonging to the
genus Fusarium were identified, of which the species F. verticillioides was
the most common with 28.63% in ZP434 and 30.5% in ZP704 hybrids. The presence
of F. graminearum, F. proliferatum and F. subglutinans ranged from 3% (ZP704)
to 5% (ZP434), 0.13% (ZP434) to 7% (ZP704) and 0.13% (ZP434) to 7% (ZP704),
respectively. Generally, the incidence of every particular fungus was higher
in the late maize hybrid with a higher moisture content than in the
medium-early hybrid with a lower moisture content.