Irrigation, Nitrogen Supplementation, and Climatic Conditions Affect Resistance to <i>Aspergillus flavus</i> Stress in Maize
Maize production is increasingly challenged by climate change, which affects plant physiology, fungal colonization, and mycotoxin contamination. <i>Aspergillus flavus</i>, a saprophytic fungus, thrives in warm, dry conditions, leading to aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) accumulation, and posing signi...
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MDPI AG
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Agriculture |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/7/767 |
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| author | Heltan M. Mwalugha Krisztina Molnár Csaba Rácz Szilvia Kovács Cintia Adácsi Tamás Dövényi-Nagy Károly Bakó István Pócsi Attila Dobos Tünde Pusztahelyi |
| author_facet | Heltan M. Mwalugha Krisztina Molnár Csaba Rácz Szilvia Kovács Cintia Adácsi Tamás Dövényi-Nagy Károly Bakó István Pócsi Attila Dobos Tünde Pusztahelyi |
| author_sort | Heltan M. Mwalugha |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Maize production is increasingly challenged by climate change, which affects plant physiology, fungal colonization, and mycotoxin contamination. <i>Aspergillus flavus</i>, a saprophytic fungus, thrives in warm, dry conditions, leading to aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) accumulation, and posing significant food safety risks. Macro- and micro-climatic factors, including temperature, humidity, and precipitation, influence kernel development, leaf wetness duration, and mycotoxin biosynthesis. Nitrogen availability and irrigation play crucial roles in modulating plant responses to these stressors, affecting chlorophyll content, yield parameters, and fungal interactions. To investigate these interactions, a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) was employed from 2020 to 2022 to assess physiological changes in SY Orpheus maize hybrid under varying climatic conditions. Rising temperatures and declining relative humidity (RH) significantly reduced kernel number per ear length from 25.60 ± 0.34 in 2020 to 17.89 ± 0.39 in 2022 (<i>p</i> < 0.05), impacting yield. The AFB1 levels peaked in 2021 (156.88 ± 59.02 µg/kg), coinciding with lower humidity and increased fungal stress. Water availability improved kernel numbers and reduced AFB1 accumulation (<i>p</i> < 0.05) but did not significantly affect the total fungal load (<i>p</i> > 0.05). Nitrogen supplementation enhanced plant vigor, suppressed AFB1 biosynthesis, and influenced spectral indices. Potential confounding factors such as soil variability and microbial interactions may require further investigations. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2077-0472 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agriculture |
| spelling | doaj-art-cb59f862ddd1454c96d7c2b9b03a023b2025-08-20T02:09:14ZengMDPI AGAgriculture2077-04722025-04-0115776710.3390/agriculture15070767Irrigation, Nitrogen Supplementation, and Climatic Conditions Affect Resistance to <i>Aspergillus flavus</i> Stress in MaizeHeltan M. Mwalugha0Krisztina Molnár1Csaba Rácz2Szilvia Kovács3Cintia Adácsi4Tamás Dövényi-Nagy5Károly Bakó6István Pócsi7Attila Dobos8Tünde Pusztahelyi9Doctoral School of Food Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, HungaryCentre for Precision Farming R&D Services, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, HungaryCentre for Precision Farming R&D Services, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, HungaryFood and Environmental Toxicology Research Group, Central Laboratory of Agricultural and Food Products, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, HungaryFood and Environmental Toxicology Research Group, Central Laboratory of Agricultural and Food Products, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, HungaryCentre for Precision Farming R&D Services, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, HungaryCentre for Precision Farming R&D Services, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, HungaryDepartment of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, HungaryCentre for Precision Farming R&D Services, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, HungaryFood and Environmental Toxicology Research Group, Central Laboratory of Agricultural and Food Products, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, HungaryMaize production is increasingly challenged by climate change, which affects plant physiology, fungal colonization, and mycotoxin contamination. <i>Aspergillus flavus</i>, a saprophytic fungus, thrives in warm, dry conditions, leading to aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) accumulation, and posing significant food safety risks. Macro- and micro-climatic factors, including temperature, humidity, and precipitation, influence kernel development, leaf wetness duration, and mycotoxin biosynthesis. Nitrogen availability and irrigation play crucial roles in modulating plant responses to these stressors, affecting chlorophyll content, yield parameters, and fungal interactions. To investigate these interactions, a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) was employed from 2020 to 2022 to assess physiological changes in SY Orpheus maize hybrid under varying climatic conditions. Rising temperatures and declining relative humidity (RH) significantly reduced kernel number per ear length from 25.60 ± 0.34 in 2020 to 17.89 ± 0.39 in 2022 (<i>p</i> < 0.05), impacting yield. The AFB1 levels peaked in 2021 (156.88 ± 59.02 µg/kg), coinciding with lower humidity and increased fungal stress. Water availability improved kernel numbers and reduced AFB1 accumulation (<i>p</i> < 0.05) but did not significantly affect the total fungal load (<i>p</i> > 0.05). Nitrogen supplementation enhanced plant vigor, suppressed AFB1 biosynthesis, and influenced spectral indices. Potential confounding factors such as soil variability and microbial interactions may require further investigations.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/7/767maizeplant physiologyirrigationnitrogenaflatoxin B1<i>Aspergillus flavus</i> |
| spellingShingle | Heltan M. Mwalugha Krisztina Molnár Csaba Rácz Szilvia Kovács Cintia Adácsi Tamás Dövényi-Nagy Károly Bakó István Pócsi Attila Dobos Tünde Pusztahelyi Irrigation, Nitrogen Supplementation, and Climatic Conditions Affect Resistance to <i>Aspergillus flavus</i> Stress in Maize Agriculture maize plant physiology irrigation nitrogen aflatoxin B1 <i>Aspergillus flavus</i> |
| title | Irrigation, Nitrogen Supplementation, and Climatic Conditions Affect Resistance to <i>Aspergillus flavus</i> Stress in Maize |
| title_full | Irrigation, Nitrogen Supplementation, and Climatic Conditions Affect Resistance to <i>Aspergillus flavus</i> Stress in Maize |
| title_fullStr | Irrigation, Nitrogen Supplementation, and Climatic Conditions Affect Resistance to <i>Aspergillus flavus</i> Stress in Maize |
| title_full_unstemmed | Irrigation, Nitrogen Supplementation, and Climatic Conditions Affect Resistance to <i>Aspergillus flavus</i> Stress in Maize |
| title_short | Irrigation, Nitrogen Supplementation, and Climatic Conditions Affect Resistance to <i>Aspergillus flavus</i> Stress in Maize |
| title_sort | irrigation nitrogen supplementation and climatic conditions affect resistance to i aspergillus flavus i stress in maize |
| topic | maize plant physiology irrigation nitrogen aflatoxin B1 <i>Aspergillus flavus</i> |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/7/767 |
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