Modelling mycotoxin formation by Fusarium graminearum in maize in The Netherlands.

The predominant species in maize in temperate climates is Fusarium graminearum, which produces the mycotoxins deoxynivalenol and zearalenone. Projected climate change is expected to affect Fusarium incidence and thus the occurrence of these mycotoxins. Predictive models may be helpful in determining trends in the levels of these mycotoxins with expected changing climatic conditions.

Modeling deoxynivalenol contamination of wheat in northwestern Europe for climate change assessments.

Climate change will affect mycotoxin contamination of feed and food. Mathematical models for predicting mycotoxin concentrations in cereal grains are useful for estimating the impact of climate change on these toxins. The objective of the current study was to construct a descriptive model to estimate climate change impacts on deoxynivalenol (DON) contamination of mature wheat grown in northwestern Europe.

Occurrence of Fusarium Head Blight species and Fusarium mycotoxins in winter wheat in the Netherlands in 2009.

Most recent information on the occurrence of Fusarium Head Blight species and related mycotoxins in wheat grown in the Netherlands dates from 2001. This aim of this study was to investigate the incidence and levels of Fusarium Head Blight species and Fusarium mycotoxins, as well as their possible relationships, in winter wheat cultivated in the Netherlands in 2009. Samples were collected from individual fields of 88 commercial wheat growers.

Expert study to select indicators of the occurrence of emerging mycotoxin hazards.

This article describes a Delphi-based expert judgment study aimed at the selection of indicators to identify the occurrence of emerging mycotoxin hazards related to Fusarium spp. in wheat supply chains. A panel of 29 experts from 12 European countries followed a holistic approach to evaluate the most important indicators for different chain stages (growth, transport and storage, and processing) and their relative importance.

Perspectives for geographically oriented management of fusarium mycotoxins in the cereal supply chain.

This article provides an overview of available systems for management of Fusarium mycotoxins in the cereal grain supply chain, with an emphasis on the use of predictive mathematical modeling. From the state of the art, it proposes future developments in modeling and management and their challenges. Mycotoxin contamination in cereal grain-based feed and food products is currently managed and controlled by good agricultural practices, good manufacturing practices, hazard analysis critical control points, and by checking and more recently by notification systems and predictive mathematical models.

Descriptive modelling to predict deoxynivalenol in winter wheat in the Netherlands.

Predictions of deoxynivalenol (DON) content in wheat at harvest can be useful for decision-making by stakeholders of the wheat feed and food supply chain. The objective of the current research was to develop quantitative predictive models for DON in mature winter wheat in the Netherlands for two specific groups of end-users. One model was developed for use by farmers in underpinning Fusarium spp.

Sustainable pest regulation in agricultural landscapes: a review on landscape composition, biodiversity and natural pest control.

Agricultural intensification has resulted in a simplification of agricultural landscapes by the expansion of agricultural land, enlargement of field size and removal of non-crop habitat. These changes are considered to be an important cause of the rapid decline in farmland biodiversity, with the remaining biodiversity concentrated in field edges and non-crop habitats. The simplification of landscape composition and the decline of biodiversity may affect the functioning of natural pest control because non-crop habitats provide requisites for a broad spectrum of natural enemies, and the exchange of natural enemies between crop and non-crop habitats is likely to be diminished in landscapes dominated by arable cropland.

New lepidopteran sex attractants found by systematic field screening of blends containing (Z)-11- and (E)-11-tetradecenal.

By screening (Z)-11-tetradecenal and (E)-11-tetradecenal alone, mixed with each other or mixed with corresponding alcohols or acetates, sex attractants were discovered or improved for nine Lepidoptera. Attractants were found forAcleris sparsana, A. tripunctana, Aphelia viburnana (all Tortricidae),Cilix glaucata (Drepanidae), andCosmia trapezina (Noctuidae).

New sex attractants for 35 tortricid and 4 other lepidopterous species, found by systematic field screening in the Netherlands.

Most of the known sex attractants and pheromones found for Tortricidae attract species of the subfamily Tortricinae. In order to find more sex attractants for species of the subfamily Olethreutinae, about 60 one- and two-component lures were screened for attractancy in different biotopes in the Netherlands. Most of the chemicals tested were straight-chain dodecen-1-ols and their acetates.