Prevention of Fusarium mycotoxin contamination by breeding and fungicide application in wheat

Akos Mesterhazy (1)

1 Div. for Biotech. and Resistance

In the last 30-40 years the scientific fundaments of the breeding for FHB resistance were roughly elaborated. The methods have been developed, the genetic background is known for a number of genotypes at least on QTL level, we have medium to good resistance sources and we have an expertise that enables us to perform a successful breeding program. It took many years to transform agronomically poor resistance sources into lines that are suitable for crossings to breed commercial cultivars. From the native populations up to medium resistant genotypes could be identified. It took also time to see which selection system, which resistance traits are more important. By now in many programs highly resistant materials are available; however, the main problem is to combine FHB resistance with other important traits like yield, quality, heat and drought resistance, winter hardiness in winter wheat and so on. By screening existing material, moderate to good resistant materials can be identified at a low rate. FHB tests during the variety registration process An FHB test at variety registration would surely enhance breeding efforts. This alone can decrease food safety risks by about 50 %. Our forecast is that the proportion of more resistant varieties will grow slowly, but their ratio in wheat acreage will increase more rapidly. In fungicide application a significantly higher efficacy could be achieved than before. . One reason is that better fungicides came to the market, but equally important was the realization of the significance of head coverage of heads which is generally poor (10 % or lower) with traditional technologies. So heads have to be covered by fungicides from each side, by this way 30-40 % of coverage could be achieved. With the best fungicides 95 % reduction in deoxynivalenol (DON) contamination was possible in small plot tests, and up to 70 % reduction was realized in farm scale applications. Technology should be developed further, but results until now allow a much a much more efficient scab control than before. The prevention became much more effective than it was even several years before, so securing of a higher food safety is not only a theoretical possibility, but a reality also on farm level.

Mots clés: Life Sciences

Akos Mesterhazy. Prevention of Fusarium mycotoxin contamination by breeding and fungicide application in wheat. Food Additives and Contaminants, 2010, 27 (05), pp.616-628. ⟨10.1080/19440041003606144⟩. ⟨hal-00591175⟩