Energy-Efficient Wireless Multimedia Sensor Nodes for Plant Proximal Monitoring.

The paper presents a double-radio wireless multimedia sensor node (WMSN) with a camera on board, designed for plant proximal monitoring. Camera sensor nodes represent an effective solution to monitor the crop at the leaf or fruit scale, with details that cannot be retrieved with the same precision through satellites or unnamed aerial vehicles (UAVs). From the technological point of view, WMSNs are characterized by very different requirements, compared to standard wireless sensor nodes; in particular, the network data rate results in higher energy consumption and incompatibility with the usage of battery-powered devices.

Apple mycotoxins: From orchard to processed apple puree.

Apples and apple-derived products can be contaminated with patulin and, to a lesser extent, aflatoxin B1 and fumonisins. Fruits were collected from Golden Delicious and Imperatore trees in three orchards in Veneto, Northern Italy, and analysed for the presence of fungi and mycotoxins. Sampling and analyses were also carried out from storage bins to final puree tanks along the apple-puree production chain.

Impact of simulated climate change conditions on Aspergillus flavus biocontrol effectiveness in peanut-based medium and peanut seeds.

Peanut is a legume widespread in the world, but its high susceptibility to Aspergillus flavus infection poses a significant challenge due to the risk of aflatoxin contamination. It is predicted that changing climatic conditions will result in warmer, drier periods with elevated CO₂ levels, which promote the growth of A. flavus.

Biology, ecology, and epidemiology of species affecting tomato: ground information for the development of a predictive model.

Among pathogens that affect tomato, spp. are important due to their implications in yield losses and the contamination of tomato products by mycotoxins. In this study, a systematic literature review was conducted to retrieve and analyze available data on the tomato pathosystem, with particular attention focused on the main biological processes included in the pathogen life cycle and mycotoxin production.

Structure of Aspergillus flavus populations associated with maize in Greece, Spain, and Serbia: Implications for aflatoxin biocontrol on a regional scale.

Aspergillus flavus is the most frequently identified producer of aflatoxins. Non-aflatoxigenic members of the A. flavus L strains are used in various continents as active ingredients of bioprotectants directed at preventing aflatoxin contamination by competitive displacement of aflatoxin producers.

Changing climate, shifting mycotoxins: A comprehensive review of climate change impact on mycotoxin contamination.

Climate change (CC) is a complex phenomenon that has the potential to significantly alter marine, terrestrial, and freshwater ecosystems worldwide. Global warming of 2°C is expected to be exceeded during the 21st century, and the frequency of extreme weather events, including floods, storms, droughts, extreme temperatures, and wildfires, has intensified globally over recent decades, differently affecting areas of the world. How CC may impact multiple food safety hazards is increasingly evident, with mycotoxin contamination in particular gaining in prominence.

IoT for Monitoring Fungal Growth and Development in Grapes Solar Drying in Tunnel and in Open Air.

Optimisation of solar drying to reduce fungal growth and (OTA) contamination is a crucial concern in raisin and currant production. Stochastic and deterministic analysis has been utilized to investigate environmental indicators and drying characteristics. The analysis was performed using two seedless grape varieties (-red and -white) that were artificially inoculated with during open-air and tunnel drying.

Metabolomics Insight into the Variety-Mediated Responses to Infection in Grapevine Berries.

Limited knowledge regarding the susceptibility of grape varieties to ochratoxin A (OTA)-producing fungi is available to date. This study aimed to investigate the susceptibility of different grape varieties to concerning OTA contamination and modulation at the metabolome level. Six grape varieties were selected, sampled at early veraison and ripening, artificially inoculated with , and incubated at two temperature regimes.

Multiple Year Influences of the Aflatoxin Biocontrol Product AF-X1 on the Communities Associated with Maize Production in Italy.

AF-X1 is a commercial aflatoxin biocontrol product containing the non-aflatoxigenic (AF-) strain of MUCL54911 (VCG IT006), endemic to Italy, as an active ingredient. The present study aimed to evaluate the long-term persistence of VCG IT006 in the treated fields, and the multi-year influence of the biocontrol application on the population. Soil samples were collected in 2020 and 2021 from 28 fields located in four provinces in north Italy.

Abstracts of Presentations to the Working Session on Improving Predictive Modeling of Mycotoxin Risk for Africa Held at the 3rd ASM2022 on 7 September 2022, in Stellenbosch, South Africa.

In 2008, the African Postharvest Losses Information Systems project (APHLIS, accessed on 6 September 2022) developed an algorithm for estimating the scale of cereal postharvest losses (PHLs). The relevant scientific literature and contextual information was used to build profiles of the PHLs occurring along the value chains of nine cereal crops by country and province for 37 sub-Saharan African countries. The APHLIS provides estimates of PHL figures where direct measurements are not available.

From Grapes to Wine: Impact of the Vinification Process on Ochratoxin A Contamination.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is one of the major mycotoxins, classified as "potentially carcinogenic to humans" (Group 2B) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), and wine is one of its main sources of intake in human consumption. The main producer of this toxin is , a fungus that contaminates grapes early in the growing season. The vinification process, as a whole, reduces the toxin content in wine compared to the grapes; however, not all vinification steps contribute equally to this reduction.

DEFHAZ: A Mechanistic Weather-Driven Predictive Model for Infection and Defective Hazelnut Outbreaks.

The browning of the internal tissues of hazelnut kernels, which are visible when the nuts are cut in half, as well as the discolouration and brown spots on the kernel surface, are important defects that are mainly attributed to Diaporthe eres. The knowledge regarding the Diaporthe eres infection cycle and its interaction with hazelnut crops is incomplete. Nevertheless, we developed a mechanistic model called DEFHAZ.

Electronic Nose for the Rapid Detection of Deoxynivalenol in Wheat Using Classification and Regression Trees.

Mycotoxin represents a significant concern for the safety of food and feed products, and wheat represents one of the most susceptible crops. To manage this issue, fast, reliable, and low-cost test methods are needed for regulated mycotoxins. This study aimed to assess the potential use of the electronic nose for the early identification of wheat samples contaminated with deoxynivalenol (DON) above a fixed threshold.

Lipid Signaling Modulates the Response to Fumonisin Contamination and Its Source, , in Maize.

Fumonisin-contaminated maize ( L.) products are a major health concern because of their toxic effects in humans and animals. Breeding maize for increased mycotoxin resistance is one of the key sustainable strategies for mitigating the effects of fumonisin contamination.

Key Global Actions for Mycotoxin Management in Wheat and Other Small Grains.

Mycotoxins in small grains are a significant and long-standing problem. These contaminants may be produced by members of several fungal genera, including , , , , and . Interventions that limit contamination can be made both pre-harvest and post-harvest.

Overall Exposure of European Adult Population to Mycotoxins by Statistically Modelled Biomonitoring Data.

This study presents the exposure scenario to mycotoxins of adult population throughout Europe. The urinary biomarkers values were obtained by modelling data from two European projects. Exposure to AFB1, OTA, CIT, FBs, DON, NIV and T2/HT2 are presented.

and Co-Occurrence Influences Plant and Fungal Transcriptional Profiles in Maize Kernels and In Vitro.

Climate change will increase the co-occurrence of and , along with their mycotoxins, in European maize. In this study, the expression profiles of two () genes and four mycotoxin biosynthetic genes, and , fumonisin pathway, and and , aflatoxin pathway, as well as mycotoxin production, were examined in kernels and in artificial medium after a single inoculation with or or with the two fungi in combination. Different temperature regimes (20, 25 and 30 °C) over a time-course of 21 days were also considered.

Environmental Conditions Affecting during Solar Drying of Grapes: The Case of Tunnel and Open Air-Drying.

Drying optimization, to mitigate fungal growth and (OTA) contamination is a key topic for raisin and currant production. Specific indicators of environmental conditions and drying properties were analyzed using two seedless grape varieties (-red and -white), artificially inoculated with under open air and tunnel drying. The air temperature (T), relative humidity, grape surface temperature (T) and water activity throughout the drying experiment, the grapes' moisture content and the fungal colonization and OTA contamination during the drying process and their interactions were recorded and critically analyzed.

Predicted Aflatoxin B Increase in Europe Due to Climate Change: Actions and Reactions at Global Level.

Climate change (CC) is predicted to increase the risk of aflatoxin (AF) contamination in maize, as highlighted by a project supported by EFSA in 2009. We performed a comprehensive literature search using the Scopus search engine to extract peer-reviewed studies citing this study. A total of 224 papers were identified after step filtering (187 + 37), while step filtering identified 25 of these papers for quantitative analysis.

Machine Learning for Predicting Mycotoxin Occurrence in Maize.

Meteorological conditions are the main driving variables for mycotoxin-producing fungi and the resulting contamination in maize grain, but the cropping system used can mitigate this weather impact considerably. Several researchers have investigated cropping operations' role in mycotoxin contamination, but these findings were inconclusive, precluding their use in predictive modeling. In this study a machine learning (ML) approach was considered, which included weather-based mechanistic model predictions for AFLA-maize and FER-maize [predicting aflatoxin B (AFB) and fumonisins (FBs), respectively], and cropping system factors as the input variables.

Ecology of Diaporthe eres, the causal agent of hazelnut defects.

Diaporthe eres has been recently reported as the causal agent of hazelnut defects, with characteristic brown spots on the kernels surface and internal fruit discoloration. Knowledge regarding the ecology of this fungus is poor but, is critical to support a rationale and effective hazelnut crop protection strategy. Therefore, a study was performed to describe and model the effect of different abiotic factors such as temperature (T, 5-35°C, step 5°C) and water activity (aw 0.

Molecular Characterization of Species Associated With Hazelnut Defects.

Fungi of the genus have been reported as the main causative agent of hazelnut defects in the Caucasus area. This study aimed to define which fungal species are present in defective hazelnuts grown in Turkey and confirm the role of spp. Seven hazelnut orchards were selected, with each one located in a different Turkish Province (Düzce, Giresun, Ordu, Samsun, Sakarya, Trabzon, and Zonguldak), and hazelnuts were collected at early and full ripening.

Perspectives on Global Mycotoxin Issues and Management From the MycoKey Maize Working Group.

During the last decade, there have been many advances in research and technology that have greatly contributed to expanded capabilities and knowledge in detection and measurement, characterization, biosynthesis, and management of mycotoxins in maize. MycoKey, an EU-funded Horizon 2020 project, was established to advance knowledge and technology transfer around the globe to address mycotoxin impacts in key food and feed chains. MycoKey included several working groups comprising international experts in different fields of mycotoxicology.

AFLA-PISTACHIO: Development of a Mechanistic Model to Predict the Aflatoxin Contamination of Pistachio Nuts.

In recent years, very many incidences of contamination with aflatoxin B (AFB) in pistachio nuts have been reported as a major global problem for the crop. In Europe, legislation is in force and 12 μg/kg of AFB is the maximum limit set for pistachios to be subjected to physical treatment before human consumption. The goal of the current study was to develop a mechanistic, weather-driven model to predict growth and the AFB contamination of pistachios on a daily basis from nut setting until harvest.

Risk assessment of the entry of subsp. on maize seed imported by the EU from the USA.

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Plant Health performed a risk assessment of the entry of subsp. on maize seed imported by the EU from the USA. This pest is a Gram-negative bacterium which causes Stewart's vascular wilt and leaf blight of maize (including sweet corn), a disease responsible for serious crop losses throughout the world.