Mycobiota in Slovak wine grapes: A case study from the small Carpathians wine region

The microbiological characteristics of the grapes are made up of a wide variety of microorganisms, including filamentous fungi. Their presence in grapes is traditionally associated with deterioration in quality. The health of the grapes is very important for obtaining quality wine. The objective of this study was to investigate the diversity of mycobiota on the surface and inside of different grapevine varieties at harvest time in the temperate climate of Slovakia and to identify potentially pathogenic isolates of and producing selected mycotoxins. During the 2021 grape harvest, grapes were collected from the Small Carpathians wine region. Eleven grape samples were analyzed by the plating method and plating method with surface disinfection. Emphasis was placed on and species because of their importance in mycotoxin production. Of the 605 fungal strains detected, 11 genera were identified in the exogenous mycobiota. The most common and abundant genera were and In the genus , . section is the most abundant, while in the genus , reached the highest frequency and abundance. Of the 379 strains detected and identified from the endogenous mycobiota, the most common genera were again and and the most abundant genus was species were detected in 17% of all fungi found, with dominating. The section reached only 4% of the relative density of all isolates. Potentially toxigenic and species were tested for toxinogenity by thin layer chromatography. The most important mycotoxin-producing species found were . section but without ochratoxin A production.