Integrated disease management of Fusarium head blight

Abstract

Wheat head blight, caused by the fungus Gibberella zeae (anamorph Fusarium graminearum), occurs worldwide, but for many years the disease was not considered a major problem. In the last years, however, head blight has increased its frequency and intensity and thus become one of the most damaging diseases of wheat. Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) is considered a floral disease because the infection process begins at the anthers. FHB occurs mainly in wet, warm regions, and its epidemics are associated with long wet periods from anthesis to the soft dough growing stage. The dependence of FHB on weather factors, its nature and epidemiology and its sporadic manifestation have determined that the control measures are not successful. Therefore, FHB is one of the cereal crop diseases most difficult to control. This chapter summarizes the current knowledge of the integrated management of FHB in Argentina and Brazil and includes the success and limitations of control methods such as using crop rotations, cultivars with improved behavior, biological control, chemical control and weather-based warning systems and diversifying the sowing times.