**4.1. Content of mycotoxins and standard technological quality parameters**

There are contradictory reports on the relationship between the *Fusarium* infection grade and content of mycotoxins in the cereals grain. Some authors did not confirm positive correlation between the infection grade and DON content [17, 18], while others found a high-positive significant correlation [19]. Despite relationship between the *Fusarium* spp. infection grade and mycotoxins content does not have to be too close [18], in the case of a strong infection pressure evoked by artificial inoculation, it is possible to suppose also high mycotoxins content [4, 14–20]. This observation is in accordance with our results, which show significant differences in evaluated mycotoxins content between variants with natural contamination and artificial *Fusarium* spp. inoculation. Differences between organic and conventional growing systems were statistically insignificant, which indicates low dependence of *Fusarium* spp. infestation on cropping system (in the case when fungicidal treatment against FHB was not used). Our results also confirmed, in accordance to [5], that DON was the most occurred *Fusarium* mycotoxin for both evaluated wheat species. According to findings of [21], DON is the most frequent *Fusarium* mycotoxin even in the rye grain.

Several authors mentioned negative effects of *Fusarium* spp. infection on baking quality of wheat [6–22]. On the other hand, there are some contradictory studies where a strong *Fusarium* spp. contamination did not significantly influence the bread making properties [23, 24]. Some authors mentioned an increase of protein content of the wheat grain after the *Fusarium* spp. contamination [25], others mentioned slight decrease of it [2, 6] and [26] concluded that the crude protein content in the wheat grain was not affected by the *F. culmorum* infection. In our case, increase of protein and wet gluten content occurred in artificially inoculated variants. This fact is probably connected with low TKW and volume weight of artificially inocluated variants—in the case of small grains, we can presuppose higher protein concentration.

Zeleny sedimentation index and gluten index measure swelling potential of kernel protein. At the same time, general reductions of Zeleny sedimentation and gluten index in artificially inoculated variants were observed. This indicates that *Fusarium* spp. infection may alter protein quality in grain, in accordance with findings of [6, 14–25].

Decrease of falling number value in artificially inoculated variants was observed too. According to Refs. [27] and [14], fungal infection is expected to increase the degradation of starch due to the activity of enzymes as α—amylase in kernels, which is measurable by means of falling number.

Our results showed negative correlation between content of the most mycotoxins and technological quality parameters for both wheat species. The most evident negative effect of mycotoxins content was seen on volume weight and thousand kernels weight. These results are in accordance with [28]—these authors mentioned that FHB can lead to the production of small-sized grains.

#### **4.2. Mixolab**

and C1–C2 values, generally *Fusarium* effect was less pronounced in comparison with com-

**Table 7.** Correlation between Mixolab parameters and mycotoxins content for *Triticum spelta* L. in both growing systems.

Statistically significant for p ≤ 0.05(\*) and for p ≤ 0.01(\*\*); DON—deoxynivalenol; D3G—deoxynivalenol-3-β-d-glucoside; ZON—zearalenone; 3-ADON—3-acetyldeoxynivalenol; C1—time for maximum torque during mixing; C2—protein weakening; C3—starch gelatinization; C4—gel stability; C5—starch retrogradation; C1C2—fall of protein strength;

**DON (μg kg−1) D3G (μg kg−1) 3-ADON (μg kg−1) ZON (μg kg−1)**

C1 (min) 0.18 0.12 0,20 0,02 C2 (Nm) −0.94\*\* −0.92\*\* −0.90\*\* −0.56\* C3 (Nm) −0.69\* −0.68\* −0.66\* −0.40 C4 (Nm) 0.28 0.25 0.30 0.19 C5 (Nm) 0.19 0.17 0.22 0.13 C1–C2 (Nm) 0.94\*\* 0.90\*\* 0.91\*\* 0.54\* C3–C4 (Nm) −0.51 −0.49 −0.52 −0.32 C5–C4 (Nm) 0.05 0.03 0.08 0.03 DS (min) −0.13 −0.21 −0.11 −0.27

C3C4—diastatic activity; C5C4—anti-stalling effect; DS—dough stability before weakening.

It is evident from **Figure 3** that despite the shifts of individual curves for variety Ceralio, majority of resulting Mixolab parameters for various type of treatment were statistically insignificant. Just characteristics C2 and dough stability for the control from organic treatment

mon wheat.

were preferable to the conventional variant.

338 Wheat Improvement, Management and Utilization

**Figure 3.** An example of Mixolab curve—spelt wheat cultivar Ceralio.

Mixolab parameters show, based on the results published up to now, high compatibility with standard rheological analysis (for example, farinograph, extensograph, or amylograph). Consequently, it is possible to anticipate a potential prediction of bread making quality of wheat from these parameters [10]. But there are not many studies on the efficiency of this Mixolab system to predict rheological parameters of wheat with changed characteristics caused by fungi species, which have become a serious problem in the wheat cultivation during recent years.

#### *4.2.1. Triticum aestivum L*

Some authors [14, 17–20] mentioned that *Fusarium* spp. infection markedly worsens both protein and starch characteristics. Also in our case, average value of C2, which positively correlates with dough strength, was, in accordance with findings of [29], more than half lower after *Fusarium* spp. inoculation for both variants of growing system. Therefore, higher rate of protein thermal weakening (C1C2) and visible shorter time of dough stability were found for these inoculated variants. According to Ref. [30], dough heating and thus swelling of starch granules and increasing viscosity cause the increase of the curve—point C3. It was evident from our results that values of artificially inoculated variants were markedly lower than values of variants with natural *Fusarium* spp. contamination. Supposedly, this is due to damaged starch granules of inoculated variants. The dough with such results is usually stickier and can give a poor baking quality [31]. Mixolab characteristic C5, which represents the rate of starch retrogradation [30], was slightly lower for artificially inoculated variants and verifies the worse quality of the starch part of the wheat grain.

#### *4.2.2. Triticum spelta L*

Despite the fact that common wheat is the most widespread of all cultivated wheat species, at the present time, spelt wheat has growing popularity thanks to the nutritive and pro-health properties. The consummation of spelt products helps to reduce the cholesterol level in blood and fosters the circulatory system [32]. This wheat species has been also known for the high resistance to unsupportive environmental factors. Due to a higher stalk and hard adherent husks, spelt has poor fungal infestation in comparison with common wheat (*T. aestivum* L.) and nowadays is grown mostly by organic methods [33].

Final Mixolab characteristics of *T. spelta* L. show similar trends but imply better resistance to *Fusarium* spp. infection compare to the reaction of *T. aestivum* variants. For example, average values of C2, which represent the weakening of protein, were in spelt as same as in common wheat lower in artificially inoculated variants, but in spelt, the difference between naturally contamined and artificially inoculated variants was not so high. Slightly lesser *Fusarium* effect than common wheat showed correlation coefficients between Mixolab characteristics and mycotoxins content too. This fact was reported by Ref. [33] as well.
