BOKU TTox-Monitor Trial - Maize 2024 data

This dataset contains results from the BOKU TTox-Monitor Trial, the monitoring program to measure the impact of climate change on the (co-) occurrence of plant and fungal toxins in wheat and maize grown in Tulln, Lower Austria. Data from the 2024 maize trial is presented here. Further data will be made available in the future. Twenty-four varieties of maize (Zea mays), with FAO numbers ranging from 300 to 440, were planted in four replicates each, following a randomized block design. Samples were assessed for the presence of corn borer infection as well as fungal infection and were accordingly classified into six categories: 1) healthy, 2) corn borer infested, 3) Fusarium infested, 4) both infestations present, 5) improperly fertilized and 6) eaten in the field before harvest. These classifications were qualitative, with no quantitative assessment of infection severity. No visual appraisal for fungi other than Fusarium was conducted. After classification, all ears were destemmed and the weight of the destemmed kernels was recorded.The contents of six major sample constituents (ash, crude fat, crude fibre, moisture, crude protein, starch) were determined using a DS2500 Tabletop near infrared spectrometer (NIRS) (FOSS, Hamburg, Germany). On-demand calibrations from the manufacturer were used to calculate results based on the acquired spectra. Mycotoxin analysis was performed using the LC-MS/MS-based method developed by Sulyok et al. [1], which at the time of analysis was able to detect over 700 analytes, including all major regulated and non-regulated mycotoxins as well as other fungal and plant metabolites. Weather data were obtained from a weather station owned by BOKU University’s Institute of Agronomy, located at 48.319602° N, 16.069388° E, approximately 200 m from the trial field. [1] Sulyok, M., Suman, M., & Krska, R. (2024). Quantification of 700 mycotoxins and other secondary metabolites of fungi and plants in grain products. npj Science of Food, 8(1), 49