, , and are emerging preharvest maize ear rot pathogens in Ethiopia.

Fusarium ear rot (FER) and Gibberella ear rot (GER) caused by Fusarium species are major diseases affecting maize production in Ethiopia. In addition to reducing quality and yield, these fungi can produce mycotoxins that contaminate maize kernels and, thereby, pose health hazards to humans and livestock. A survey was conducted in 10 administrative zones of Ethiopia within the major maize-growing regions of the country to identify the species of Fusarium associated with ear rot.

MINIstock: Model for INsect Inclusion in sustainable agriculture: USDA-ARS's research approach to advancing insect meal development and inclusion in animal diets.

Animal agriculture is under pressure to increase efficiency, sustainability, and innovation to meet the demands of a rising global population while decreasing adverse environmental effects. Feed cost and availability are 2 of the biggest hurdles to sustainable production. Current diets depend on sources of grain and animal byproduct protein for essential amino acids which have limited sustainability.

Monoclonal-Antibody-Based Immunoassays for the Mycotoxins NX-2 and NX-3 in Wheat.

The fungal infestation of crops can cause major economic losses. Toxins produced by the causative fungi (mycotoxins) represent a potential safety hazard to people and livestock consuming them. One such mycotoxin is deoxynivalenol (DON, also known as vomitoxin), a trichothecene associated with Fusarium Head Blight of wheat.

Dynamic geospatial modeling of mycotoxin contamination of corn in Illinois: unveiling critical factors and predictive insights with machine learning.

Mycotoxin contamination of corn is a pervasive problem that negatively impacts human and animal health and causes economic losses to the agricultural industry worldwide. Historical aflatoxin (AFL) and fumonisin (FUM) mycotoxin contamination data of corn, daily weather data, satellite data, dynamic geospatial soil properties, and land usage parameters were modeled to identify factors significantly contributing to the outbreaks of mycotoxin contamination of corn grown in Illinois (IL), AFL >20 ppb, and FUM >5 ppm. Two methods were used: a gradient boosting machine (GBM) and a neural network (NN).

Elevated CO Can Worsen Fusarium Head Blight Disease Severity in Wheat but the QTL Provides Reliable Disease Resistance.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a destructive fungal disease of wheat that causes significant economic loss due to lower yields and the contamination of grain with fungal toxins (mycotoxins), particularly deoxynivalenol (DON). FHB disease spread and mycotoxin contamination has been shown to worsen at elevated CO, therefore, it is important to identify climate-resilient FHB resistance. This work evaluates whether wheat with the quantitative trait locus (QTL), the most widely deployed FHB resistance locus in wheat breeding programs, provides reliable disease resistance at elevated CO.

Manipulating atmospheric CO concentration induces shifts in wheat leaf and spike microbiomes and in pathogen communities.

Changing atmospheric composition represents a source of uncertainty in our assessment of future disease risks, particularly in the context of mycotoxin producing fungal pathogens which are predicted to be more problematic with climate change. To address this uncertainty, we profiled microbiomes associated with wheat plants grown under ambient vs. elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration [CO] in a field setting over 2 years.

Insights into the Aggressiveness of the Emerging North American Population 3 (NA3) of .

In the United States and Canada, () is the predominant etiological agent of Fusarium head blight (FHB), an economically devastating fungal disease of wheat and other small grains Besides yield losses, FHB leads to grain contamination with trichothecene mycotoxins that are harmful to plant, human, and livestock health. Three genetic North American populations of , differing in their predominant trichothecene chemotype (i.e.

A Novel Trichothecene Toxin Phenotype Associated with Horizontal Gene Transfer and a Change in Gene Function in .

trichothecenes are among the mycotoxins of most concern to food and feed safety. Production of these mycotoxins and presence of the trichothecene biosynthetic gene () cluster have been confirmed in only two multispecies lineages of : the - (Incarnatum) and (Sambucinum) species complexes. Here, we identified and characterized a cluster in a species that has not been formally described and is represented by sp.

NX Trichothecenes Are Required for Infection of Wheat.

causes Fusarium head blight (FHB) on wheat and barley and contaminates grains with various mycotoxins that are toxic to humans and animals. Deoxynivalenol (DON), a type B trichothecene, is an essential virulence factor that is required for to spread within a wheat head. Recently, novel type A trichothecenes NX-2 and NX-3 (NX) have been found in .

disease resistance QTL does not exacerbate wheat grain protein loss at elevated CO.

Fusarium head blight, a devastating cereal crop disease, can cause significant yield losses and contaminate grain with hazardous fungal toxins. Concerningly, recent evidence indicates that substantial grain protein content loss is likely to occur in wheat that is moderately resistant to head blight when it is grown at elevated CO. Although wheat breeders in North America utilize a number of resistance sources and genes to reduce pathogen damage, the gene is widely deployed.

Gradient boosting and bayesian network machine learning models predict aflatoxin and fumonisin contamination of maize in Illinois - First USA case study.

Mycotoxin contamination of corn results in significant agroeconomic losses and poses serious health issues worldwide. This paper presents the first report utilizing machine learning and historical aflatoxin and fumonisin contamination levels in-order-to develop models that can confidently predict mycotoxin contamination of corn in Illinois, a major corn producing state in the USA. Historical monthly meteorological data from a 14-year period combined with corresponding aflatoxin and fumonisin contamination data from the State of Illinois were used to engineer input features that link weather, fungal growth, and aflatoxin production in combination with gradient boosting (GBM) and bayesian network (BN) modeling.

Measurement of Fumonisins in Maize Using a Portable Mass Spectrometer.

Fumonisins are a group of mycotoxins that routinely contaminate maize. Their presence is monitored at multiple stages from harvest to final product. Immunoassays are routinely used to screen commodities in the field while laboratory-based methods, such as mass spectrometry (MS), are used for confirmation.

Fusarium head blight resistance exacerbates nutritional loss of wheat grain at elevated CO.

The nutritional integrity of wheat is jeopardized by rapidly rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO) and the associated emergence and enhanced virulence of plant pathogens. To evaluate how disease resistance traits may impact wheat climate resilience, 15 wheat cultivars with varying levels of resistance to Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) were grown at ambient and elevated CO. Although all wheat cultivars had increased yield when grown at elevated CO, the nutritional contents of FHB moderately resistant (MR) cultivars were impacted more than susceptible cultivars At elevated CO, the MR cultivars had more significant differences in plant growth, grain protein, starch, fructan, and macro and micro-nutrient content compared with susceptible wheat.

Effects of Atmospheric CO and Temperature on Wheat and Corn Susceptibility to and Deoxynivalenol Contamination.

This work details the impact of atmospheric CO and temperature conditions on two strains of their disease damage, pathogen growth, mycotoxin accumulation, and production per unit fungal biomass in wheat and corn. An elevated atmospheric CO concentration, 1000 ppm CO, significantly increased the accumulation of deoxynivalenol in infected plants. Furthermore, growth in cool growing conditions, 20 °C/18 °C, day and night, respectively, resulted in the highest amounts of pathogen biomass and toxin accumulation in both inoculated wheat and corn.

Distribution, Function, and Evolution of a Gene Essential for Trichothecene Toxin Biosynthesis in .

Trichothecenes are terpenoid toxins produced by species in 10 fungal genera, including species of . The trichothecene biosynthetic gene () cluster typically includes the gene, which encodes a terpene synthase that catalyzes formation of trichodiene, the parent compound of all trichothecenes. The two species, and , that have been examined are unique in that is located outside the cluster in a genomic region that does not include other known genes.

Weeds Harbor Species that Cause Malformation Disease of Economically Important Trees in Western Mexico.

Mango malformation disease (MMD) caused by spp. is an important limiting factor in most production areas worldwide. and have been reported as causing MMD in Mexico.

Malformation Disease in (Rosy Trumpet) Caused by in Mexico.

(rosy trumpet) is an economically important neotropical tree in Mexico that is highly valued for the quality of its wood, which is used for furniture, crafts, and packing, and for its use as an ornamental and shade tree in parks and gardens. During surveys conducted in the lower Balsas River Basin region in the states of Guerrero and Michoacán, symptoms of floral malformation were detected in trees. The main objectives of this study were to describe this new disease, to determine its causal agent, and to identify it using DNA sequence data.

Correction: Phylogenetic diversity, trichothecene potential, and pathogenicity within Fusarium sambucinum species complex.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Effects of Double-Stranded RNAs Targeting on Fusarium Head Blight and Mycotoxins.

is the causal agent of Fusarium head blight (FHB), which reduces crop yield and contaminates grains with poisonous trichothecene mycotoxins, including deoxynivalenol (DON). DON functions as an important virulence factor that promotes FHB spread in wheat; therefore, reducing DON production will decrease yield losses to FHB and increase food safety. Recent progress in the topical application of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) to reduce infection has provided encouraging results.

Use of the volatile trichodiene to reduce Fusarium head blight and trichothecene contamination in wheat.

Fusarium graminearum is the primary cause of Fusarium head blight (FHB), one of the most economically important diseases of wheat worldwide. FHB reduces yield and contaminates grain with the trichothecene mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON), which poses a risk to plant, human and animal health. The first committed step in trichothecene biosynthesis is formation of trichodiene (TD).

Phylogenetic diversity, trichothecene potential, and pathogenicity within Fusarium sambucinum species complex.

The Fusarium sambucinum species complex (FSAMSC) is one of the most taxonomically challenging groups of fusaria, comprising prominent mycotoxigenic plant pathogens and other species with various lifestyles. Among toxins produced by members of the FSAMSC, trichothecenes pose the most significant threat to public health. Herein a global collection of 171 strains, originating from diverse hosts or substrates, were selected to represent FSAMSC diversity.

Characterization of Three Effectors and Their Roles During Fusarium Head Blight.

causes Fusarium head blight (FHB) on wheat, barley, and other grains. During infection, produces deoxynivalenol (DON), which contaminates grain and functions as a virulence factor to promote FHB spread throughout the wheat head. secretes hundreds of putative effectors, which can interfere with plant immunity to promote disease development.

FK506-Binding Protein 13 Expression Is Upregulated in Interstitial Lung Disease and Correlated with Clinical Severity. A Potentially Protective Role.

Pulmonary fibrosis is a progressive lung disease characterized by myofibroblast accumulation and excessive extracellular matrix deposition. We sought to investigate the role of FKBP13 (13-kD FK506-binding protein), an endoplasmic reticulum-resident molecular chaperone, in various forms of pulmonary fibrosis. We first characterized the gene and protein expression of FKBP13 in lung biopsy specimens from 24 patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and 17 control subjects.