Strategies to control Fusaria to reduce toxin contaminations in durum wheat.

none6Durum wheat is an important crop in Europe for its impact on agriculture and implications on the economic chain. Fusarium graminearum is one of the main causal agents of fusarium head blight (FHB). The fusarium toxins, DON, ZEA, NIV, DAS, BEA, are a serious problem in Europe and in the world and their presence is related to agronomic and environmental conditions. F. graminearum population can be divided in different chemotypes based on the production of the trichothecenes deoxynivalenol (DON) and nivalenol (NIV). Our study regarded isolations, molecular identifications and percentage of Fusarium species in FHB durum wheat spikes collected in several Italian fields from 1995 up to date. A population of F. graminearum was examined for chemotypes. Three chemotypes - 15-AcDON, 3-AcDON and NIV - were observed and the most representative was 15-AcDON. In order to reduce disease incidence and severity and as well as the risks of fusarium toxins, some fungicides were applied in experimental trials. The use of chemical products, other than controlling the disease, induced a reduction of DON (ppm) levels 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 by applications of chemical products but also by biological treatments since these toxins represent a known and potential hazard to human and animal health, through the consumption of contaminated food.nonePisi A; Tonti S.; Prodi A.; Nipoti P.; Alberti I.; Pancaldi D.Pisi A; Tonti S.; Prodi A.; Nipoti P.; Alberti I.; Pancaldi D