Evidence for a reversible drought induced shift in the species composition of mycotoxin producing Fusarium head blight pathogens isolated from symptomatic wheat heads

• Fusarium head blight pathogens were isolated from winter wheat in Luxembourg.
• Genetic 15AcDON chemotype F. graminearum strains were dominant in 5 out of 6 years.
• Genetic NIV chemotype F. culmorum strains were dominant in the dry year 2011.
• The shift towards genetic NIV chemotype strains in 2011 was accompanied by a minor elevation of NIV contents.
• The shift in the species and chemotype composition was reversible.

Fusarium species are fungal plant pathogens producing toxic secondary metabolites such as deoxynivalenol (DON), 15-acetyl-deoxynivalenol (15AcDON) and nivalenol (NIV). In Luxembourg, the Fusarium species composition isolated from symptomatic winter wheat heads was dominated by Fusarium graminearum sensu stricto strains (genetic 15AcDON chemotype) between the years 2009 and 2012, except for 2011, when Fusarium culmorum strains (genetic NIV chemotype) dominated the pathogen complex. Previous reports indicated that F. graminearum sensu stricto (genetic 15AcDON chemotype) was also most frequently isolated from randomly sampled winter wheat kernels including symptomatic as well as asymptomatic kernels in 2007 and 2008. The annual precipitation (average of 10 weather stations scattered across the country) decreased continuously from 924.31 mm in 2007 over 917.15 mm in 2008, to 843.38 mm in 2009, 736.24 mm in 2010, and 575.09 mm in 2011. In 2012, the annual precipitation increased again to 854.70 mm. Hardly any precipitation was recorded around the time of wheat anthesis in the years 2010 and 2011, whereas precipitation levels > 50 mm within the week preceding anthesis plus the week post anthesis were observed in the other years. The shift to genetic NIV chemotype F. culmorum strains in 2011 was accompanied by a very minor elevation of average NIV contents (2.9 ng g− 1) in the grain. Our data suggest that high NIV levels in Luxembourgish winter wheat are at present rather unlikely, because the indigenous F. culmorum strains with the genetic NIV chemotype seem to be outcompeted under humid in vivo conditions by F. graminearum DON producing strains on the one hand and seem to be inhibited – even though to a lower extent than DON producing strains – under dry in vivo conditions on the other hand.