Study of mycobiota, occurrence of fumonisins and FUM genes expression during the development of sorghum grains

• Grant number: 12/22186-6
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: June 01, 2013
• End date: November 30, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Science
• Principal Investigator: Benedito Corrêa
• Grantee: Benedito Corrêa
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In recent decades the production of sorghum grown dramatically, going to play a key role as an energy alternative for animal feed. However, in Brazil, despite the economic losses resulting from fungal contamination and mycotoxins, studies are still preliminary and fall short when it comes to analyzing the problem on a technical standpoint. Given the importance of the topic, our project will conduct a detailed study on the distribution of fungi and fumonisins and the expression of 15 genes responsible for the same biosynthetic pathway in different developmental stages of sorghum, from planting to harvest, and in two sowing dates. These data will generate crucial information about the onset of contamination of grains as well as the stages of culture are more susceptible to contamination by fungi and mycotoxins, along with this, climatological data will correlate critical moments of the crop to be followed with utmost care to obtain grains healthy and suitable for human and animal consumption. (AU)