Advances in understanding the epidemiology of Fusarium in cereals

2021 ◽  
pp. 83-110
Author(s):  
Stephen N. Wegulo ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Pathogens ◽  
Fusarium Species ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Economic Security ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Cereal Crops ◽  
Calorie Intake ◽  
Head Blight ◽  
Fusarium Graminearum Species Complex ◽  
Daily Calorie Intake

Cereal grains contribute more than half of the global daily calorie intake. However, cereal crops are prone to attack by plant pathogens that cause devastating losses estimated in the billions of dollars, threatening global food and economic security. One of the diseases of small grain cereals that is of major economic importance is Fusarium head blight (FHB). It affects all small grain cereals, but major economic losses occur in wheat and barley production. FHB is caused mainly by Fusarium species in the Fusarium graminearum species complex, of which F. graminearum is the predominant causal agent. Understanding the epidemiology of F. graminearum is critical to the development of effective and sustainable FHB management strategies that will reduce or prevent losses. This chapter reviews recent advances in the epidemiology of F. graminearum in cereal crops.

Species and trichothecene genotype of pathogens causing Fusarium head blight of wheat in Nebraska, USA

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esteban Valverde-Bogantes ◽  
Andreia Bianchini ◽  
Stephen Wegulo ◽  
Heather Hallen-Adams
Keyword(s):  
Fusarium Head Blight ◽  
Fusarium Species ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Elongation Factor ◽  
Head Blight ◽  
Single Spore ◽  
Additional Species ◽  
Growing Seasons ◽  
Worldwide Distribution ◽  
Pathogen Populations

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is an economically important disease caused by several Fusarium species affecting wheat and other small grain cereals. In recent years, reports of shifts in populations of FHB pathogens around the world have shown that these populations are dynamic and change continuously, often resulting in increased yield losses or changes in the mycotoxins produced in the grain, which highlights the need for increased vigilance. The objective of this research was to identify the species and trichothecene genotypes of FHB pathogens in Nebraska in order to monitor their populations and the major toxigenic risks in the state. A total of 74 single-spore Fusarium isolates were obtained from 42 FHB symptomatic wheat spikes collected from Nebraska fields during the growing seasons in 2015-2018. Most of the isolates were identified as F. graminearum (n=67) based on translation elongation factor 1α (TEF1), trichothecene 3-O-acetyltransferase (TRI101), and reductase (RED) sequences. Additional species included F. boothii (n=3), F. poae (n=2), F. acuminatum (n=1), and one isolate was an F. graminearum × F. boothii interspecific hybrid. All F. graminearum and F. boothii isolates had the 15-ADON trichothecene genotype. This study shows that F. graminearum is not the only pathogen causing FHB in Nebraska and helps expand knowledge on the worldwide distribution of F. boothii. The information obtained from this survey will be useful in developing effective FHB management strategies in Nebraska, since different pathogen populations can cause varying levels of disease intensity and can be selectively sensitive to management tactics.

scholarly journals Analysis of Fusarium graminearum Species Complex from Freshly Harvested Rice in Jiangsu Province (China)

Plant Disease ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 104 (8) ◽  
pp. 2138-2143
Author(s):  
Fei Dong ◽  
Xiao Zhang ◽  
Jian Hong Xu ◽  
Jian Rong Shi ◽  
Yin-Won Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fusarium Graminearum ◽  
Species Complex ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Jiangsu Province ◽  
Head Blight ◽  
Fusarium Graminearum Species Complex ◽  
Rice Samples ◽  
Dark Staining ◽  
Major Pathogens

Members of Fusarium graminearum species complex (FGSC) are the major pathogens that cause Fusarium head blight (FHB) in cereals worldwide. Symptoms of FHB on rice, including dark staining or browning of rice glumes, were recently observed in Jiangsu Province, China. To improve our understanding of the pathogens involved, 201 FGSC isolates were obtained from freshly harvested rice samples and identified by phylogenetic analyses. Among the 201 FGSC isolates, 196 were F. asiaticum and the remaining 5 were F. graminearum. Trichothecene chemotype and chemical analyses showed that 68.4% of the F. asiaticum isolates were the 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3ADON) chemotype and the remainder were the nivalenol (NIV) chemotype. All of the F. graminearum isolates were the 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol chemotype. Pathogenicity assays showed that both the 3ADON and NIV chemotypes of F. asiaticum could infect wheat and rice spikes. FHB severity and trichothecene toxin analysis revealed that F. asiaticum with the NIV chemotype was less aggressive than that with the 3ADON chemotype in wheat, while the NIV-producing strains were more virulent than the 3ADON-producing strains in rice. F. asiaticum isolates with different chemotypes did not show significant differences in mycelial growth, sporulation, conidial dimensions, or perithecial production. These findings would provide useful information for developing management strategies for the control of FHB in China.

Fusarium graminearumTrichothecene Mycotoxins: Biosynthesis, Regulation, and Management

2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yun Chen ◽  
H. Corby Kistler ◽  
Zhonghua Ma
Keyword(s):  
Plant Disease ◽  
Fusarium Species ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Yield Losses ◽  
Head Blight ◽  
Useful Knowledge ◽  
The Past ◽  
Regulatory Systems ◽  
Tremendous Progress ◽  
Biosynthesis Regulation

Fusarium head blight (FHB) of small grain cereals caused by Fusarium graminearum and other Fusarium species is an economically important plant disease worldwide. Fusarium infections not only result in severe yield losses but also contaminate grain with various mycotoxins, especially deoxynivalenol (DON). With the complete genome sequencing of F. graminearum, tremendous progress has been made during the past two decades toward understanding the basis for DON biosynthesis and its regulation. Here, we summarize the current understanding of DON biosynthesis and the effect of regulators, signal transduction pathways, and epigenetic modifications on DON production and the expression of biosynthetic TRI genes. In addition, strategies for controlling FHB and DON contamination are reviewed. Further studies on these biosynthetic and regulatory systems will provide useful knowledge for developing novel management strategies to prevent FHB incidence and mycotoxin accumulation in cereals.

scholarly journals Taqman qPCR Quantification and Fusarium Community Analysis to Evaluate Toxigenic Fungi in Cereals

Toxins ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 45
Author(s):  
Elina Sohlberg ◽  
Vertti Virkajärvi ◽  
Päivi Parikka ◽  
Sari Rämö ◽  
Arja Laitila ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fusarium Species ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Elongation Factor ◽  
Community Analysis ◽  
Effective Management ◽  
Head Blight ◽  
Management Tools ◽  
Toxigenic Fungi ◽  
Qpcr Quantification ◽  
Detection And Quantification

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is an economically important plant disease. Some Fusarium species produce mycotoxins that cause food safety concerns for both humans and animals. One especially important mycotoxin-producing fungus causing FHB is Fusarium graminearum. However, Fusarium species form a disease complex where different Fusarium species co-occur in the infected cereals. Effective management strategies for FHB are needed. Development of the management tools requires information about the diversity and abundance of the whole Fusarium community. Molecular quantification assays for detecting individual Fusarium species and subgroups exist, but a method for the detection and quantification of the whole Fusarium group is still lacking. In this study, a new TaqMan-based qPCR method (FusE) targeting the Fusarium-specific elongation factor region (EF1α) was developed for the detection and quantification of Fusarium spp. The FusE method was proven as a sensitive method with a detection limit of 1 pg of Fusarium DNA. Fusarium abundance results from oat samples correlated significantly with deoxynivalenol (DON) toxin content. In addition, the whole Fusarium community in Finnish oat samples was characterized with a new metabarcoding method. A shift from F. culmorum to F. graminearum in FHB-infected oats has been detected in Europe, and the results of this study confirm that. These new molecular methods can be applied in the assessment of the Fusarium community and mycotoxin risk in cereals. Knowledge gained from the Fusarium community analyses can be applied in developing and selecting effective management strategies for FHB.

scholarly journals Current Status of Fusarium and Their Management Strategies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amar Bahadur
Keyword(s):  
Fusarium Solani ◽  
Plant Pathogens ◽  
Fusarium Species ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Plant Diseases ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Fusarium Fujikuroi ◽  
Trichoderma Spp ◽  
Vegetative Compatibility Groups ◽  
Wide Range

Fusarium spp. is one of the most economically important plant pathogens causing a wide range of plant diseases with significant crop losses globally. Fusarium wilt is a major problem all over the world. Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium solani, Fusarium fujikuroi are economic importance species in worldwide. Fusarium solani causing disease in many agriculturally crops and favored by high temperatures and warm moist soils. The fungus produces three types of asexual spores; microconidia, macroconidia and chlamydospores serve as propagules in infecting host plants and found endophytes and saprophytes. The color of the colony, length and shape of the macroconidia, the number shape of microconidia and the presence or absence of chlamydospores are key features for the differentiation of Fusarium species. Pathogens, forms over 100 formae speciales cause disease in dicot and monocot plant species and infecting a variety of hosts. Vegetative compatibility Groups (VCG) is used to differentiate their races. Resistant cultivars and bio-control agents (Trichoderma spp., and Psedomonas spp.) have been used to manage the disease.

scholarly journals Complex Evolutionary Origins of Specialized Metabolite Gene Cluster Diversity among the Plant Pathogenic Fungi of the Fusarium graminearum Species Complex

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 3106-3122
Author(s):  
Sabina Moser Tralamazza ◽  
Liliana Oliveira Rocha ◽  
Ursula Oggenfuss ◽  
Benedito Corrêa ◽  
Daniel Croll
Keyword(s):  
Gene Cluster ◽  
Fusarium Graminearum ◽  
Species Complex ◽  
Plant Pathogens ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Fusarium Species ◽  
Gene Clusters ◽  
Death Process ◽  
Fusarium Graminearum Species Complex ◽  
Fungal Genomes

Abstract Fungal genomes encode highly organized gene clusters that underlie the production of specialized (or secondary) metabolites. Gene clusters encode key functions to exploit plant hosts or environmental niches. Promiscuous exchange among species and frequent reconfigurations make gene clusters some of the most dynamic elements of fungal genomes. Despite evidence for high diversity in gene cluster content among closely related strains, the microevolutionary processes driving gene cluster gain, loss, and neofunctionalization are largely unknown. We analyzed the Fusarium graminearum species complex (FGSC) composed of plant pathogens producing potent mycotoxins and causing Fusarium head blight on cereals. We de novo assembled genomes of previously uncharacterized FGSC members (two strains of F. austroamericanum, F. cortaderiae, and F. meridionale). Our analyses of 8 species of the FGSC in addition to 15 other Fusarium species identified a pangenome of 54 gene clusters within FGSC. We found that multiple independent losses were a key factor generating extant cluster diversity within the FGSC and the Fusarium genus. We identified a modular gene cluster conserved among distantly related fungi, which was likely reconfigured to encode different functions. We also found strong evidence that a rare cluster in FGSC was gained through an ancient horizontal transfer between bacteria and fungi. Chromosomal rearrangements underlying cluster loss were often complex and were likely facilitated by an enrichment in specific transposable elements. Our findings identify important transitory stages in the birth and death process of specialized metabolism gene clusters among very closely related species.

scholarly journals Survey of Freshly-Harvested Oat Grains from Southern Brazil Reveals High Incidence of Type B Trichothecenes and Associated Fusarium Species

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariana Pinheiro ◽  
Caio Henrique Tadashi Iwase ◽  
Elem Caramês ◽  
BRUNO G. BERTOZZI ◽  
Lorena Carnielli-Queiroz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Complex ◽  
Animal Feed ◽  
Fusarium Species ◽  
Human Consumption ◽  
Fusarium Sambucinum ◽  
Type B ◽  
Head Blight ◽  
New Information ◽  
As Species ◽  
Fusarium Graminearum Species Complex

Oats are a nutrient rich cereal used for animal feed and growing in human consumption. This cereal can be affected by Fusarium spp., causing the disease Fusarium Head Blight. This disease is caused mainly by species within the Fusarium graminearum species complex, and are also responsible for producing mycotoxins that are harmful to humans and animals. This study aimed to investigate fungal diversity in Brazilian oat samples, focusing on the Fusarium sambucinum species complex and the presence of type B trichothecenes (deoxynivalenol and its derivatives, and nivalenol) from two different regions; Paraná (PR) and Rio Grande do Sul (RS). The isolated fungi from oat grains were identified as species from the genera: Fusarium, Phoma and Alternaria. The majority of Fusarium isolates belonged to the Fusarium sambucinum species complex; identified as F. graminearum s.s., F. meridionale and F. poae. In the RS region, F. poae was the most frequent fungus, while FGSC was the most frequent in the PR region. The majority of F. graminearum s.s. isolates were of the 15-ADON genotype, while some 3-ADON genotypes were identified; however, F. meridionale and F. poae were all of the NIV genotype. Mycotoxin analysis revealed that 92% and 100% of the samples from PR and RS were contaminated with type B trichothecenes, respectively. The oats from PR were predominantly contaminated with DON, whereas NIV was predominant in oats from RS. Analysis showed that 24% of the samples were contaminated with DON at levels higher than Brazilian regulations. Co-contamination of DON, its derivatives and NIV was observed in 84% and 57.7% of the samples from PR and RS, respectively. The results provide new information on Fusarium contamination in Brazilian oats, highlighting the importance for further studies on mycotoxins.

scholarly journals Fusarium Head Blight From a Microbiome Perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ida Karlsson ◽  
Paula Persson ◽  
Hanna Friberg
Keyword(s):  
Fusarium Head Blight ◽  
Plant Pathogens ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
Multiple Infections ◽  
Disease Development ◽  
Head Blight ◽  
Mycotoxin Contamination

The fungal genus Fusarium causes several diseases in cereals, including Fusarium head blight (FHB). A number of Fusarium species are involved in disease development and mycotoxin contamination. Lately, the importance of interactions between plant pathogens and the plant microbiome has been increasingly recognized. In this review, we address the significance of the cereal microbiome for the development of Fusarium-related diseases. Fusarium fungi may interact with the host microbiome at multiple stages during their life cycles and in different plant organs including roots, stems, leaves, heads, and crop residues. There are interactions between Fusarium and other fungi and bacteria as well as among Fusarium species. Recent studies have provided a map of the cereal microbiome and revealed how different biotic and abiotic factors drive microbiome assembly. This review synthesizes the current understanding of the cereal microbiome and the implications for Fusarium infection, FHB development, disease control, and mycotoxin contamination. Although annual and regional variations in predominant species are significant, much research has focused on Fusarium graminearum. Surveying the total Fusarium community in environmental samples is now facilitated with novel metabarcoding methods. Further, infection with multiple Fusarium species has been shown to affect disease severity and mycotoxin contamination. A better mechanistic understanding of such multiple infections is necessary to be able to predict the outcome in terms of disease development and mycotoxin production. The knowledge on the composition of the cereal microbiome under different environmental and agricultural conditions is growing. Future studies are needed to clearly link microbiome structure to Fusarium suppression in order to develop novel disease management strategies for example based on conservation biological control approaches.

scholarly journals Evolution of Fusarium Head Blight Management in Wheat: Scientific Perspectives on Biological Control Agents and Crop Genotypes Protocooperation

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (19) ◽  
pp. 8960
Author(s):  
Antonia J. Powell ◽  
Vladimir Vujanovic
Keyword(s):  
Fusarium Head Blight ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Cereal Crops ◽  
Past Century ◽  
Head Blight ◽  
Promising Tool ◽  
Cultivar Development ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
The Us ◽  
Moderately Resistant

Over the past century, the economically devastating Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) disease has persistently ravished small grain cereal crops worldwide. Annually, losses globally are in the billions of United States dollars (USD), with common bread wheat and durum wheat accounting for a major portion of these losses. Since the unforgettable FHB epidemics of the 1990s and early 2000s in North America, different management strategies have been employed to treat this disease. However, even with some of the best practices including chemical fungicides and innovative breeding technological advances that have given rise to a spectrum of moderately resistant cultivars, FHB still remains an obstinate problem in cereal farms globally. This is in part due to several constraints such as the Fusarium complex of species and the struggle to develop and employ methods that can effectively combat more than one pathogenic line or species simultaneously. This review highlights the last 100 years of major FHB epidemics in the US and Canada, as well as the evolution of different management strategies, and recent progress in resistance and cultivar development. It also takes a look at protocooperation between specific biocontrol agents and cereal genotypes as a promising tool for combatting FHB.

scholarly journals Synergistic Phytotoxic Effects of Culmorin and Trichothecene Mycotoxins

Toxins ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 555 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wipfler ◽  
McCormick ◽  
Proctor ◽  
Teresi ◽  
Hao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Triticum Aestivum ◽  
Root Elongation ◽  
Fusarium Species ◽  
Genomic Analysis ◽  
Wheat Root ◽  
Cereal Crops ◽  
Biosynthetic Gene ◽  
Head Blight ◽  
Biosynthetic Genes ◽  
Phytotoxic Effects

Species of the fungus Fusarium cause Fusarium head blight (FHB) of cereal crops and contaminate grain with sesquiterpenoid mycotoxins, including culmorin (CUL) and trichothecenes. While the phytotoxicity of trichothecenes, such as deoxynivalenol (DON), and their role in virulence are well characterized, less is known about the phytotoxicity of CUL and its role in the development of FHB. Herein, we evaluated the phytotoxic effects of purified CUL and CUL-trichothecene mixtures using Chlamydomonas reinhardtii growth and Triticum aestivum (wheat) root elongation assays. By itself, CUL did not affect growth in either system. However, mixtures of CUL with DON, 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol, 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol, or NX-3, but not with nivalenol, inhibited growth in a synergistic manner. Synergistic phytotoxic effects of CUL and DON were also observed on multiple plant varieties and species. The severity of wheat FHB caused by 15 isolates of Fusarium graminearum was negatively correlated with the CUL/DON ratio, but positively correlated with the sum of both CUL and DON. Additionally, during the first week of infection, CUL biosynthetic genes were more highly expressed than the TRI5 trichothecene biosynthetic gene. Furthermore, genomic analysis of Fusarium species revealed that CUL and trichothecene biosynthetic genes consistently co-occur among species closely related to F. graminearum.

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