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Review
. 2023 Mar 3;15(3):192.
doi: 10.3390/toxins15030192.

Fusarium Head Blight on Wheat: Biology, Modern Detection and Diagnosis and Integrated Disease Management

Elias Alisaac  1   2 , Anne-Katrin Mahlein  3
Affiliations
Review

Fusarium Head Blight on Wheat: Biology, Modern Detection and Diagnosis and Integrated Disease Management

Elias Alisaac et al. Toxins (Basel). .

Abstract

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a major threat for wheat production worldwide. Most reviews focus on Fusarium graminearum as a main causal agent of FHB. However, different Fusarium species are involved in this disease complex. These species differ in their geographic adaptation and mycotoxin profile. The incidence of FHB epidemics is highly correlated with weather conditions, especially rainy days with warm temperatures at anthesis and an abundance of primary inoculum. Yield losses due to the disease can reach up to 80% of the crop. This review summarizes the Fusarium species involved in the FHB disease complex with the corresponding mycotoxin profiles, disease cycle, diagnostic methods, the history of FHB epidemics, and the management strategy of the disease. In addition, it discusses the role of remote sensing technology in the integrated management of the disease. This technology can accelerate the phenotyping process in the breeding programs aiming at FHB-resistant varieties. Moreover, it can support the decision-making strategies to apply fungicides via monitoring and early detection of the diseases under field conditions. It can also be used for selective harvest to avoid mycotoxin-contaminated plots in the field.

Keywords: control measures; decision making; epidemics; monitoring; mycotoxins; remote sensing; resistance; wheat scab; yield losses.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Taxonomical position of the genus Fusarium and Microdochium according to MycoBank database, 2022.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Disease cycle and symptoms of Fusarium head blight on wheat spikes and kernels.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Chemical structure of the main mycotoxins produced by Fusarium species on wheat.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Chemical structure of the main mycotoxins produced by Fusarium species on wheat.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Spectral sensors and their application in integrated disease management of Fusarium head blight on wheat.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Spectral sensors and their application in integrated disease management of Fusarium head blight on wheat.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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