Potential effects of environmental conditions on the efficiency of the antifungal tebuconazole controlling Fusarium verticillioides and Fusarium proliferatum growth rate and fumonisin biosynthesis

• Environmental factors affected similarly fungicide effects on growth in both species.
• FUM1 expression was not generally reduced by tebuconazole in both species.
• Interactions of environmental factors and tebuconazole affected FUM1 expression.
• Sublethal doses of fungicide, mild water stress at < 35°C induced FUM1 expression.

Fusarium verticillioides and Fusarium proliferatum are important phytopathogens which contaminate cereals in the Mediterranean climatic region with fumonisins. In this study we examined the interaction between the fungicide efficacy of tebuconazole and water potential (Ψw) (− 0.7–7.0 MPa) × temperature (20–35 °C) on growth and FUM1 gene expression by real time RT-PCR (an indicator of fumonisin biosynthesis) in strains of both Fusarium species. Concentrations of tebuconazole required to reduce growth by 50 and 90% (ED50 and ED90 values) were determined. Growth of strains of both species was largely reduced by tebuconazole, with similar efficacy profiles in the interacting water potential × temperature conditions. In contrast, FUM1 expression was not generally reduced by tebuconazole. Moreover, sub-lethal doses in combination with mild water stress and temperatures less than 35 °C significantly induced FUM1 expression with slight differences in both species. These results suggest that the efficacy of antifungal compounds to reduce mycotoxin risk would be more effective if consideration is given to both growth rate and toxin biosynthesis in relation to interacting environmental conditions. This is the first study linking fungicide efficacy of tebuconazole with environmental factor effects on control of growth and FUM1 gene expression of F. verticillioides and F. proliferatum.