The inability of Fusarium species extracts to induce dieback in pine.

Cultures of F. moniliforme var. subglutinans, F. moniliforme, F. lateritium, F. equiseti, F. semitectum and F. solani from pine and F. moniliforme and F. graminearum from southern U.S. corn were grown on rice and corn, extracted, and checked for toxicity in mice, chicken embryos, and pine seedlings, and for mutagenicity by the Ames test. While extracts from both fungal groups contained toxins, none of the extracts induced dieback in pine seedlings. Almost all of the cultures isolated from corn in contrast to those from pine, were mutagenic. Thin-layer chromatography did not detect T-2 toxin, moniliformin, or vomitoxin, indicating that these toxins do not elicit dieback symptoms in pine.