Effect of different fungicides on the Aspergillus section Nigri

Abstract

The presence of ochratoxin A (OTA) in grape berries is mainly due to infection by ochratoxigenic species belonging to the section Nigri of the genus Aspergillus, A. carbonarius in particular. The effect of various fungicides, commonly used in the field, on strains belonging to six species of Aspergillus section Nigri, i.e. A. aculeatus, A. awamori, A. carbonarius, A. foetidus, A. japonicus, A. niger was tested in vitro on Cazpek Agar and in vivo, in experimentally inoculated berries. In vitro, the highest efficacy was shown by cyprodinil+fludioxonil, fluazinam, tolylfluanide and folpet, whereas some IBS fungicides, azoxystrobin and procymidone had a reduced inhibitory effect. The colonization of grape berries was greatly reduced in the presence of pyrimethanil, cyprodinil+fludioxonil, folpet and tolylfluanide. These fungicides and to a lesser extent fluazinam, difeconazole and mancozeb, reduced or completely suppressed the production of OTA due a toxigenic strain of A. carbonarius in grape berries.