This document discusses cultural control methods for Fusarium head blight (FHB) disease in wheat crops. FHB is caused by several Fusarium species and reduces wheat yields and quality worldwide. Key cultural control practices discussed are crop rotation, soil tillage, and sowing date management. Crop rotation with non-host crops like maize or soybean for 2-3 years can help reduce FHB severity. Limited soil tillage practices like deep plowing can bury crop residues to decrease the primary inoculum. Timely sowing to avoid flowering during warm, humid conditions can also limit disease development. Together, these cultural methods can help lower the incidence of FHB in wheat crops.

1. CULTURAL CONTROL METHODS
FOR FUSARIUM HEAD BLIGHT
DISEASE
RUFUS AKINRINLOLA
PLANT PATHOLOGY DEPARTMENT

2. CULTURAL CONTROL METHODS FOR
FUSARIUM HEAD BLIGHT DISEASE
Outline
Fusarium Head Blight (FHB)
Wheat crop
Pathogen and disease cycle
Cultural practices
Conclusion

3. FUSARIUM HEAD BLIGHT
(FHB)
 Fusarium head blight (FHB) is also called wheat or barley
scab
 FHB is a global threat to wheat crop production.
 FHB is an above-ground disease
 FHB is caused by several species of Fusarium
 F. graminearum (Gibberella zeae) is most prevalent in United
States
 FHB destroys wheat head (spikelets)
 FHB contaminates kernels with mycotoxin (DON)
Yuen and Schoneweis, 2007).

4.  FHB reduces grains yields and quality of economic crop
 In the 1990s FHB epidemics affect up to 26 states in United
States
 Epidemics was ranked the “worst ever” in the United states
since 1950s
 Wheat and barley yield losses close to $8 billion USD
between 1992-1993
 Farmers bankruptcies and farm closures
FHB: ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE
Champeil et al, 2004).

5. Symptoms:
 Premature bleaching of floret and spikelet
 Discolored or shrivel kernels
 Damaged kernels
Fusarium head blight (FHB)
https://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org
HK FDK
https://pubs.ext.vt.edu

6. • Most important world cereal grain crop
• Most important world staple food source
• 36 % of the world population depends on wheat as staple food
• Provides 55% of the world carbohydrate.
• Provides 20% of the world calories need.
• Wheat is cultivated over wide range of climatic conditions
WHEAT CROP (TRITICUM SPP)
Economic importance
Safa et al, 2009.

7. FHB PATHOGEN AND DISEASE CYCLE
 FHB species:
• F. graminearum, F. culmorum, F. avenaceum, F.
poae and F. triticum
 Most virulent specie is Fusarium graminearum
 Infective inocula: ascospores, macroconidia,
chlamydospores and hyphae
 Primary inoculum is ascospores
 Wide host range among cereal crops (wheat, barley,
corn and rice)
 Overwinter in crop residues
Fernandez, et al, 2005, Bai & Shaner, 2004

8. Secondary
spread of spores
to healthy plant
occurs by wind,
rain splash
Conidia
Bleached spikelet
Perithecia
Spores colonize the flowers, seeds
and stems
Mycelia
residue is
retained and
survive in
mature seeds
Debris of
infected
dead
wheat and
seedling
remain
infected in
crop
residues
Mycotoxins
in FDK
seeds
DISEASE CYCLE OF FUSARIUM
GRAMINEARUM
causing Fusarium Head Blight (FHB)
of Wheat (Triticum spp)
PLPT 802
Rufus Akinrinlola
Precipitation,
high humidity
and warm
temperature
(25-28°c)
induce spores
germination
and formation
of perithecia on
crop residues
Active
discharge of
ascospores
Premature
spikelet
bleaching and
infection of
seeds occur
Seedborne
spores result
into seedling
blight in young
seedling in
another
growing
season
Sexual spore
Asexual
formation
of conidia
Spores
spread from
primary
inoculum
source to
wheat plant
by wind,
rain splash
and active
discharge
SPRING
Winte
r
Summer
Fall
Gibberella zeae;
Teleomorphic or sexual reproductive form
20-25°C
Optimum
temp
Optimum
Moisture
0.2-2.5

9.  CROP ROTATION
 SOIL TILLAGE
 SOWING DATE
CULTURAL PRACTICES

10. CULTURAL PRACTICES
• Crop rotation
Factors to consider
 Nature/ Susceptibility of the crop
 Crop (residues) densities
 Crop ( residues) nutritional value
 Frequency of crop in rotation
Champeil et al, 2004).

11. CULTURAL PRACTICES
Rotation crops
 Maize , durum wheat, oats
 Wheat or barley
 Soybean
 Flax
100%
0%
FHBSEVERITY
Champeil et al, 2004).

12. CULTURAL PRACTICES
Tillage
 Limited soil tillage
 Deep soil tillage or ploughing
http://www.balticdeal.eu/
Champeil et al, 2004).

13. CULTURAL PRACTICES
Sowing date
 Early sowing date
 Late sowing date
www.neon.cornell.ed
Champeil et al, 2004).

14. CONCLUSION
 Fusarium head blight is a global threat to major cereal crops including wheat and
barley
 It is predominantly caused by Fusarium graminearum in the United States
 It reduces crop yields and grain quality in the hosts crops
 It contaminate grains with Fusarium major mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON)
 It is favored by high precipitation and humidity
 Primary inoculum is ascospores and the disease is polycyclic in nature.
 Crop rotation, soil tillage and sowing date management can help to reduce the
incidence

15. • Bai, G., & Shaner, G. (2004). Management and resistance in wheat and barley to Fusarium head blight 1. Annu.
Rev. Phytopathol., 42, 135-161.
• Champeil, A., Dore, T., & Fourbet, J. F. (2004). Fusarium head blight: epidemiological origin of the effects of
cultural practices on head blight attacks and the production of mycotoxins by Fusarium in wheat grains. Plant
science, 166(6), 1389-1415.
• Fernandez, M. R., Selles, F., Gehl, D., DePauw, R. M., & Zentner, R. P. (2005). Crop production factors associated
with Fusarium head blight in spring wheat in eastern Saskatchewan. Crop Science, 45(5), 1908-1916.
• Safa, M., Samarasinghe, S., & Mohssen, M. (2009). Modeling fuel consumption in wheat production using neural
networks.
• Yuen, G. Y., & Schoneweis, S. D. (2007). Strategies for managing Fusarium head blight and deoxynivalenol
accumulation in wheat. International journal of food microbiology, 119(1), 126-130.
 SOURCES

16. Questions
?