Prevalence of fumonisin-producing Fusarium species in Brazilian corn grains

• We identify Fusarium spp. occurring in Brazilian corn-planting areas.
• We evaluate the potential for fumonisins production by Fusarium verticillioides.
• F. verticillioides is prevalent and Fusarium proliferatum is incidental in Brazilian corn.
• The fumonisins production potential was high variable among fifty selected isolates.
• The fumonisins production was not correlated to geographic origin of the isolates.

The aims of this study were to perform morphological and molecular characterization of Fusarium species within the Liseola section isolated from corn grains from different geographic regions in Brazil, and to evaluate their potential for fumonisins production. The results showed that Fusarium verticillioides is the predominant species (99%) associated with corn grains, and other toxigenic species, Fusarium proliferatum, was incidental in Brazilian corn. Although there was a high variability in the total fumonisin production among the isolates (0.01–2.39 μg g−1), all fifty isolates analyzed produce fumonisins. The level of total fumonisin production was not correlated with the geographic origin of the isolates.