Fusarium Head Blight, Mycotoxins and Strategies for Their Reduction

Abstract

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of microscopic fungi, which commonly contaminate cereal grains. Contamination of small-grain cereals and maize with toxic metabolites of fungi, both pathogenic and saprotrophic, is one of the particularly important problems in global agriculture. Fusarium species are among the dangerous cereal pathogens with a high toxicity potential. Secondary metabolites of these fungi, such as deoxynivalenol, zearalenone and fumonisin B1 are among five most important mycotoxins on a European and world scale. The use of various methods to limit the development of Fusarium cereal head diseases and grain contamination with mycotoxins, before and after harvest, is an important element of sustainable agriculture and production of safe food. The applied strategies utilize chemical and non-chemical methods, including agronomic, physical and biological treatments. Biological methods now occupy a special place in plant protection as an element of biocontrol of fungal pathogens by inhibiting their development and reducing mycotoxins in grain. According to the literature, Good Agricultural Practices are the best line of defense for controlling Fusarium toxin contamination of cereal and maize grains. However, fluctuations in weather conditions can significantly reduce the effectiveness of plants protection methods against infection with Fusarium spp. and grain accumulation of mycotoxins.

On the biocontrol by Trichoderma afroharzianum against Fusarium culmorum responsible of fusarium head blight and crown rot of wheat in Algeria

“…mycelia, which induces their decay and reduces the efficiency of nutrient and water absorption, while FHB is manifested by the bleaching of spikelets (Xu and Nicholson 2009). Some Fusarium species are among the dangerous cereal pathogens with its secondary metabolites such as deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEN), and fumonisin B1, that are among the five most important mycotoxins (Mielniczuk and Skwaryło-Bednarz 2020). Investigations carried out revealed that strains of F. culmorum was the dominant and most aggressive species on wheat seedlings associated with FCR and FHB in Algeria (Abdallah-Nekache et al 2019).…”

Mycotoxins in wheat cultivated in the Netherlands: results from eight years of field surveys

“…It has often been reported that the presence of Fusarium spp. and related mycotoxin production depends, amongst others, on agronomic practices like crop rotation, the soil cultivation, the susceptibility of the cultivar and the use of fungicides against FHB (Beyer et al 2006;Janssen et al 2019;Mielniczuk and Skwaryło-Bednarz 2020;van der Fels-Klerx et al 2010;Zorn et al 2017). Fusarium spp.…”

“…Fusarium spp. infections and DON are frequently seen on wheat when it is cultivated after maize or wheat together with minimum tillage of the soil, leaving organic residues from the previous crop (Birr et al 2019;Mielniczuk and Skwaryło-Bednarz 2020). However, effects of specific agronomic measures might vary between countries.…”

Double Gamers—Can Modified Natural Regulators of Higher Plants Act as Antagonists against Phytopathogens? The Case of Jasmonic Acid Derivatives

“…This disease is most often caused by F. graminearum and F. culmorum and in recent years also by F. poae. The participation of individual species in causing FHB is highly dependent on weather conditions [ 14 , 15 , 16 ]. Aspergillus flavus , as well as Fusarium spp., can contaminate the colonized grains with several classes of mycotoxins, secondary metabolites dangerous to human and animal health, severely affecting yield production and lowering the quality and safety of the final products [ 17 , 18 , 19 ].…”