Strategies to control Fusaria to reduce toxin contaminations in durum wheat

Durum wheat is an important crop in Europe for its impact on agriculture and can be affected by fusarium head blight (FHB). Several are the species of Fusarium involved in this disease, in Italy the most frequent are: F. graminearum, F. culmorum, F. avenaceum and F. poae. Another causal agent is Microdochium nivale var. majus and var. nivale synonim of F. nivale. Some Fusarium species associated to FHB are responsible for losses in seed quality characteristics including the accumulation of mycotoxins. The fusarium toxins, deoxynivalenol - DON, nivalenol - NIV, zearalenone - ZEN, are a serious problem in Europe and in the world and their presence is related to agronomic and environmental conditions. Our study on FHB durum wheat heads collected in fields in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, since 1995, revealed three main species of Fusarium: F. graminearum (mean value 32.1%), F. culmorum (mean value 25.2%) and F. poae (mean value 17.9%). A population of F. graminearum was examined for chemotypes based on the production of the trichothecenes DON and NIV. Three chemotypes - 15-AcDON, 3-AcDON and NIV - were observed and the most representative was 15-AcDON. Some fungicides, Bromuconazole (Granit®), prochloraz (Sportak®45 EW) and tebuconazole (Horizon®), applied in experimental trials, reduced disease incidence and severity. The use of these products, other than controlling the disease, reduced fusarium infected kernels and DON content in durum wheat chain in the global market (i.e. semolina, bran). Therefore in terms of technologies and food safety, it is important to set up strategies to control FHB not only with chemical products but also with an integration of a series of correct agronomic practices, which reduce the primary inoculum, since these toxins represent a known and potential hazard to human and animal health, through the consumption of contaminated food.