Breeding healthy cereals: genetic improvement of Fusarium resistance and consequences for mycotoxins

Although it is generally agreed that increased genetic resistance to fungal colonisation by Fusarium head blight (FHB) should lead to reduced damage and particularly to reduced contamination due to mycotoxins, this review aims to highlight on this relation based on published literature in comparison to our own results. We focus here on the major cereal crop plants wheat and barley. Generally, correlations between measures for disease severity on the plants or the seeds and toxin content were found positive and significant. Breeding of new cultivars with reduced Fusarium disease severity will therefore lead to a correlated selection response in the direction of reduced toxin contamination, for the prevalent toxins such as deoxynivalenol, but also for less abundant mycotoxins and masked mycotoxins. Choosing resistant cultivars is possibly the best option for mycotoxin reduction right at the beginning of the cereal production chain: on the farmer’s field. Therefore, investment in breeding FHB resistant cultivars will contribute to sustainable reduction of the mycotoxin problems in the cereal production chain, and increase food and feed safety.

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Automatic Evaluation of Wheat Resistance to Fusarium Head Blight Using Dual Mask-RCNN Deep Learning Frameworks in Computer Vision

Remote Sensing ◽

10.3390/rs13010026 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 26

Author(s):

Wen-Hao Su ◽

Jiajing Zhang ◽

Ce Yang ◽

Rae Page ◽

Tamas Szinyei ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fusarium Head Blight ◽

Ground Truth ◽

Wheat Breeding ◽

Head Blight ◽

Detection Rates ◽

Ground Truth Data ◽

Resistant Cultivars ◽

Feature Pyramid ◽

Rater Error ◽

Wheat Lines

In many regions of the world, wheat is vulnerable to severe yield and quality losses from the fungus disease of Fusarium head blight (FHB). The development of resistant cultivars is one means of ameliorating the devastating effects of this disease, but the breeding process requires the evaluation of hundreds of lines each year for reaction to the disease. These field evaluations are laborious, expensive, time-consuming, and are prone to rater error. A phenotyping cart that can quickly capture images of the spikes of wheat lines and their level of FHB infection would greatly benefit wheat breeding programs. In this study, mask region convolutional neural network (Mask-RCNN) allowed for reliable identification of the symptom location and the disease severity of wheat spikes. Within a wheat line planted in the field, color images of individual wheat spikes and their corresponding diseased areas were labeled and segmented into sub-images. Images with annotated spikes and sub-images of individual spikes with labeled diseased areas were used as ground truth data to train Mask-RCNN models for automatic image segmentation of wheat spikes and FHB diseased areas, respectively. The feature pyramid network (FPN) based on ResNet-101 network was used as the backbone of Mask-RCNN for constructing the feature pyramid and extracting features. After generating mask images of wheat spikes from full-size images, Mask-RCNN was performed to predict diseased areas on each individual spike. This protocol enabled the rapid recognition of wheat spikes and diseased areas with the detection rates of 77.76% and 98.81%, respectively. The prediction accuracy of 77.19% was achieved by calculating the ratio of the wheat FHB severity value of prediction over ground truth. This study demonstrates the feasibility of rapidly determining levels of FHB in wheat spikes, which will greatly facilitate the breeding of resistant cultivars.

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Ten Years of Lateral Flow Immunoassay Technique Applications: Trends, Challenges and Future Perspectives

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s21155185 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (15) ◽

pp. 5185

Author(s):

Fabio Di Nardo ◽

Matteo Chiarello ◽

Simone Cavalera ◽

Claudio Baggiani ◽

Laura Anfossi

Keyword(s):

Environmental Control ◽

Improve Patient Care ◽

Turnaround Time ◽

Lateral Flow ◽

Lateral Flow Immunoassay ◽

Future Perspectives ◽

Immunoassay Technique ◽

Food And Feed ◽

Application Fields ◽

Feed Safety

The Lateral Flow Immunoassay (LFIA) is by far one of the most successful analytical platforms to perform the on-site detection of target substances. LFIA can be considered as a sort of lab-in-a-hand and, together with other point-of-need tests, has represented a paradigm shift from sample-to-lab to lab-to-sample aiming to improve decision making and turnaround time. The features of LFIAs made them a very attractive tool in clinical diagnostic where they can improve patient care by enabling more prompt diagnosis and treatment decisions. The rapidity, simplicity, relative cost-effectiveness, and the possibility to be used by nonskilled personnel contributed to the wide acceptance of LFIAs. As a consequence, from the detection of molecules, organisms, and (bio)markers for clinical purposes, the LFIA application has been rapidly extended to other fields, including food and feed safety, veterinary medicine, environmental control, and many others. This review aims to provide readers with a 10-years overview of applications, outlining the trends for the main application fields and the relative compounded annual growth rates. Moreover, future perspectives and challenges are discussed.

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Occurrence, Impact on Agriculture, Human Health, and Management Strategies of Zearalenone in Food and Feed: A Review

Toxins ◽

10.3390/toxins13020092 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 92

Author(s):

Dipendra Kumar Mahato ◽

Sheetal Devi ◽

Shikha Pandhi ◽

Bharti Sharma ◽

Kamlesh Kumar Maurya ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Human Health ◽

Control Strategies ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Structural Similarity ◽

Fungal Metabolites ◽

Natural Estrogens ◽

Food And Feed ◽

Feed Safety ◽

And Control ◽

Different Sources

Mycotoxins represent an assorted range of secondary fungal metabolites that extensively occur in numerous food and feed ingredients at any stage during pre- and post-harvest conditions. Zearalenone (ZEN), a mycotoxin categorized as a xenoestrogen poses structural similarity with natural estrogens that enables its binding to the estrogen receptors leading to hormonal misbalance and numerous reproductive diseases. ZEN is mainly found in crops belonging to temperate regions, primarily in maize and other cereal crops that form an important part of various food and feed. Because of the significant adverse effects of ZEN on both human and animal, there is an alarming need for effective detection, mitigation, and management strategies to assure food and feed safety and security. The present review tends to provide an updated overview of the different sources, occurrence and biosynthetic mechanisms of ZEN in various food and feed. It also provides insight to its harmful effects on human health and agriculture along with its effective detection, management, and control strategies.

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Screening of an EMS mutagenized population of a wheat cultivar susceptible to Fusarium head blight identifies resistant variants

Plant Disease ◽

10.1094/pdis-03-21-0670-re ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Bhavit Chhabra ◽

Lovepreet Singh ◽

Sydney Wallace ◽

Adam Schoen ◽

Yanhong Dong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fusarium Head Blight ◽

Wheat Cultivar ◽

Genetic Resistance ◽

Field Testing ◽

Head Blight ◽

Point Of Sale ◽

Alternative Approaches ◽

Small Grains ◽

Fhb Resistance ◽

Mutant Lines

Fusarium head blight (FHB) primarily caused by Fusarium graminearum is a key disease of small grains. Diseased spikes show symptoms of premature bleaching shortly after infection and have aborted or shriveled seeds, resulting in reduced yields. The fungus also deteriorates quality and safety of the grain due to production of mycotoxins, especially deoxynivalenol (DON), which can result in grain being docked or rejected at the point of sale. Genetic host resistance to FHB is quantitative and no complete genetic resistance against this devastating disease is available. Alternative approaches to develop new sources of FHB resistance are needed. In this study, we performed extensive forward genetic screening of the M4 generation of an EMS induced mutagenized population of cultivar Jagger to isolate variants with FHB resistance. In field testing, 74 mutant lines were found to have resistance against FHB spread and 30 lines out of these also had low DON content. Subsequent testing over two years in controlled greenhouse conditions revealed ten M6 lines showing significantly lower FHB spread. Seven and six lines out of those 10 lines also had reduced DON content and lower FDKs, respectively. Future endeavors will include identification of the mutations that led to resistance in these variants.

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Food and feed safety: Cases and approaches to identify the responsible toxins and toxicants

Food Control ◽

10.1016/j.foodcont.2018.10.028 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 98 ◽

pp. 9-18 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Arjen Gerssen ◽

Toine H.F. Bovee ◽

Leendert A. van Ginkel ◽

Marlou L.P.S. van Iersel ◽

Ron L.A.P. Hoogenboom

Keyword(s):

Food And Feed ◽

Safety Cases ◽

Feed Safety ◽

Food And Feed Safety

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Effects of Integrating Cultivar Resistance and Fungicide Application on Fusarium Head Blight and Deoxynivalenol in Winter Wheat

Plant Disease ◽

10.1094/pdis-07-10-0495 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 95 (5) ◽

pp. 554-560 ◽

Cited By ~ 69

Author(s):

Stephen N. Wegulo ◽

William W. Bockus ◽

John Hernandez Nopsa ◽

Erick D. De Wolf ◽

Kent M. Eskridge ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Winter Wheat ◽

Fusarium Head Blight ◽

Field Experiments ◽

Economic Losses ◽

Cultivar Resistance ◽

Head Blight ◽

Resistant Cultivars ◽

Fungicide Application ◽

Fungicide Efficacy ◽

Moderately Resistant

Fusarium head blight (FHB) or scab, incited by Fusarium graminearum, can cause significant economic losses in small grain production. Five field experiments were conducted from 2007 to 2009 to determine the effects on FHB and the associated mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) of integrating winter wheat cultivar resistance and fungicide application. Other variables measured were yield and the percentage of Fusarium-damaged kernels (FDK). The fungicides prothioconazole + tebuconazole (formulated as Prosaro 421 SC) were applied at the rate of 0.475 liters/ha, or not applied, to three cultivars (experiments 1 to 3) or six cultivars (experiments 4 and 5) differing in their levels of resistance to FHB and DON accumulation. The effect of cultivar on FHB index was highly significant (P < 0.0001) in all five experiments. Under the highest FHB intensity and no fungicide application, the moderately resistant cultivars Harry, Heyne, Roane, and Truman had less severe FHB than the susceptible cultivars 2137, Jagalene, Overley, and Tomahawk (indices of 30 to 46% and 78 to 99%, respectively). Percent fungicide efficacy in reducing index and DON was greater in moderately resistant than in susceptible cultivars. Yield was negatively correlated with index, with FDK, and with DON, whereas index was positively correlated with FDK and with DON, and FDK and DON were positively correlated. Correlation between index and DON, index and FDK, and FDK and DON was stronger in susceptible than in moderately resistant cultivars, whereas the negative correlation between yield and FDK and yield and DON was stronger in moderately resistant than in susceptible cultivars. Overall, the strongest correlation was between index and DON (0.74 ≤ R ≤ 0.88, P ≤ 0.05). The results from this study indicate that fungicide efficacy in reducing FHB and DON was greater in moderately resistant cultivars than in susceptible ones. This shows that integrating cultivar resistance with fungicide application can be an effective strategy for management of FHB and DON in winter wheat.

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Diallel analysis of maize resistance to Phaeosphaeria maydis

Scientia Agricola ◽

10.1590/s0103-90162004000100007 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 61 (1) ◽

pp. 36-42 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Herberte Pereira da Silva ◽

José Roberto Moro

Keyword(s):

Disease Severity ◽

Block Design ◽

Genetic Resistance ◽

Diallel Analysis ◽

Inbred Lines ◽

Randomized Block Design ◽

Whole Plant ◽

Sources Of Variation ◽

Specific Hybrid ◽

Additive Genetic Effects

In breeding programs directed towards genetic resistance against diseases, the estimation of genetic parameters that control resistance allows the introduction of resistance into suscetible germplasm to be clearly focused. The purposes of this study were to estimate heterosis effects, and the general (GCA) and specific (SCA) combining abilities by using two rating methods for resistance to Phaeosphaeria maydis in a diallel analysis of 36 F1 maize hybrids and their nine inbred lines. Trials were conducted in three environments. Disease severity was evaluated in the whole plant (PI) and in the leaf positioned just below the point of insertion of the main ear (AFA). The trials followed a randomized block design with plots represented by a 5 m long rows. Differences among combining ability estimates for different environments and in both evaluation methods showed significant effects (P < 0.01) for environment (E), GCA, and GCA × E. The SCA, and SCA × E effects were not significant for any of the disease severity variables. The GCA effects were more important than SCA for this set of inbred lines, suggesting that additive genetic effects are the most important sources of variation for this trait. Heterosis effects for resistance were estimated, and it was possible to identify specific hybrid combinations between lines which have high potential for genetic control of this pathogen. Results for both disease severity variables were practically identical, even though the PI method was more convenient to use.

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Fusarium graminearum Possesses Virulence Factors Common to Fusarium Head Blight of Wheat and Seedling Rot of Soybean but Differing in Their Impact on Disease Severity

Phytopathology ◽

10.1094/phyto-12-13-0355-r ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 104 (11) ◽

pp. 1201-1207 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Luca Sella ◽

Katia Gazzetti ◽

Carla Castiglioni ◽

Wilhelm Schäfer ◽

Francesco Favaron

Keyword(s):

Fusarium Head Blight ◽

Disease Severity ◽

Fusarium Graminearum ◽

Map Kinases ◽

Early Stage ◽

Single Gene ◽

Crown Rot ◽

Head Blight ◽

Soybean Seedlings ◽

Seedling Rot

Fusarium graminearum is a toxigenic fungal pathogen that causes Fusarium head blight (FHB) and crown rot on cereal crops worldwide. This fungus also causes damping-off and crown and root rots at the early stage of crop development in soybean cultivated in North and South America. Several F. graminearum genes were investigated for their contribution to FHB in cereals but no inherent study is reported for the dicotyledonous soybean host. In this study we determined the disease severity on soybean seedlings of five single gene disrupted mutants of F. graminearum, previously characterized in wheat spike infection. Three of these mutants are impaired on a specific function as the production of deoxynivalenol (DON, Δtri5), lipase (ΔFgl1), and xylanase (Δxyl03624), while the remaining two are MAP kinase mutants (ΔFgOS-2, Δgpmk1), which are altered in signaling pathways. The mutants that were reduced in virulence (Δtri5, ΔFgl1, and ΔFgOS-2) or are avirulent (Δgpmk1) on wheat were correspondently less virulent or avirulent in soybean seedlings, as shown by the extension of lesions and seedling lengths. The Δxyl03624 mutant was as virulent as the wild type mirroring the behavior observed in wheat. However, a different ranking of symptom severity occurred in the two hosts: the ΔFgOS-2 mutant, that infects wheat spikelets similarly to Δtri5 and ΔFgl1 mutants, provided much reduced symptoms in soybean. Differently from the other mutants, we observed that the ΔFgOS-2 mutant was several fold more sensitive to the glyceollin phytoalexin suggesting that its reduced virulence may be due to its hypersensitivity to this phytoalexin. In conclusion, lipase and DON seem important for full disease symptom development in soybean seedlings, OS-2 and Gpmk1 MAP kinases are essential for virulence, and OS-2 is involved in conferring resistance to the soybean phytoalexin.

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A Unified Effort to Fight an Enemy of Wheat and Barley: Fusarium Head Blight

Plant Disease ◽

10.1094/pdis-03-12-0291-fe ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 96 (12) ◽

pp. 1712-1728 ◽

Cited By ~ 321

Author(s):

Marcia McMullen ◽

Gary Bergstrom ◽

Erick De Wolf ◽

Ruth Dill-Macky ◽

Don Hershman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Fusarium Head Blight ◽

Great Plains ◽

Plant Disease ◽

Management Strategies ◽

The United States ◽

Export Market ◽

Northern Great Plains ◽

Head Blight ◽

Food And Feed

Wheat and barley are critical food and feed crops around the world. Wheat is grown on more land area worldwide than any other crop. In the United States, production of wheat and barley contributes to domestic food and feed use, and contributes to the export market and balance of trade. Fifteen years ago, Plant Disease published a feature article titled “Scab of wheat and barley: A re-emerging disease of devastating impact”. That article described the series of severe Fusarium head blight (FHB) epidemics that occurred in the United States and Canada, primarily from 1991 through 1996, with emphasis on the unparalleled economic and sociological impacts caused by the 1993 FHB epidemic in spring grains in the Northern Great Plains region. Earlier publications had dealt with the scope and damage caused by this disease in the United States, Canada, Europe, and China. Reviews published after 1997 further described this disease and its impact on North American grain production in the 1990s. This article reviews the disease and documents the information on U.S. FHB epidemics since 1997. The primary goal of this article is to summarize a sustained, coordinated, and collaborative research program that was put in place shortly after the 1993 epidemic, a program intended to quickly lead to improved management strategies and outreach implementation. This program serves as a model to deal with other emerging plant disease threats.

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Phylogenetic Diversity and Mycotoxin Potential of Emergent Phytopathogens within the Fusarium tricinctum Species Complex

Phytopathology ◽

10.1094/phyto-09-21-0394-r ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

Imane Laraba ◽

Mark Busman ◽

David M. Geiser ◽

Kerry O'Donnell

Keyword(s):

Species Complex ◽

Phylogenetic Diversity ◽

Agricultural Research ◽

Distinct Species ◽

Culture Collections ◽

Strain Collection ◽

Food And Feed ◽

Feed Safety ◽

Large Survey ◽

Fusarium Tricinctum

Recent studies on multiple continents indicate members of the Fusarium tricinctum species complex (FTSC) are emerging as prevalent pathogens of small-grain cereals, pulses, and other economically important crops. These understudied fusaria produce structurally diverse mycotoxins, among which enniatins (ENNs) and moniliformin (MON) are the most frequent and of greatest concern to food and feed safety. Herein a large survey of fusaria in the Fusarium Research Center and Agricultural Research Service culture collections was undertaken to assess species diversity and mycotoxin potential within the FTSC. A 151-strain collection originating from diverse hosts and substrates from different agroclimatic regions throughout the world was selected from 460 FTSC strains to represent the breadth of FTSC phylogenetic diversity. Evolutionary relationships inferred from a 5-locus dataset, using maximum likelihood and parsimony, resolved the 151 strains as 24 phylogenetically distinct species, including nine that are new to science. Of the five genes analyzed, nearly full-length phosphate permease sequences contained the most phylogenetically informative characters, establishing its suitability for species-level phylogenetics within the FTSC. Fifteen of the species produced ENNs, MON, the sphingosine analog 2-amino-14,16- dimethyloctadecan-3-ol (AOD), and the toxic pigment aurofusarin (AUR) on a cracked corn kernel substrate. Interestingly, the five earliest diverging species in the FTSC phylogeny (i.e., F. iranicum, F. flocciferum, F. torulosum, Fusarium spp. FTSC 8 and 24) failed to produce AOD and MON, but synthesized ENNs and/or AUR. Moreover, our reassessment of nine published phylogenetic studies on the FTSC identified 11 additional novel taxa, suggesting this complex comprises at least 36 species.

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