Management of Fusarium graminearum in corn and wheat

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Fusarium graminearum Schwabe causes gibberella ear rot (GER) in corn and fusarium head blight (FHB) in wheat, resulting in yield loss and poor grain quality with the accumulation of mycotoxins, mainly deoxynivalenol (DON). Mycotoxins in grain are a serious concern for the grain industry because they constitute a serious problem for food and feed safety, present a risk for human and animal health and are regulated in Canada. The pathobiology of GER is changing in corn because of the following factors: i) recent establishment of western bean cutworm Striacosta albicosta Smith (WBC) as a key ear pest, ii) only one class of fungicide chemistry is currently available to manage GER and DON, iii) inoculum load is changing due to the adoption of conservation tillage systems, iv) using crops that stay green longer increases crop residues on the soil surface, and v) observed shifts in F. graminearum chemotypes. This project will characterize an integration of these factors with F. graminearum in wheat and the pest complex of F. graminearum and S. albicosta in corn. One opportunity is to use a combination of transgenic corn resistant to S. albicosta, with and without insecticides and fungicides, including the development of the new active ingredient adepidyn, to control the pathogen and/or the insect. A second opportunity is to reduce inoculum potential through the selection of hybrids, inoculum suppression, acceleration of residue decomposition, and competitive exclusion of F. graminearum. Both opportunities will be explored in the context of shifting chemotypes to anticipate any future changes in approach that may be needed. A better understanding of this pest complex and its interactions will ultimately contribute to management strategies to reduce GER/FHB and DON in corn and wheat.**