Controlling infection of cereal grain by toxigenic Fusarium species using fungal competitors

Strains of fungi, including non-pathogenic Fusarium spp., were tested in control led-environment and field experiments for their ability to control the most important pathogenic and toxigenic Fusarium spp. that cause ear blight on cereals. They were tested at both the inoculum production and ear infection stages. Some fungi effectively decreased growth of Fusarium spp. on wheat straw and maize stem pieces (representing an inoculum source for ear or cob blight). The most effective of these were fungi (mainly non-Fusarium spp.) that had only small effects against F culmorum at the ear infection stage on barley, oats or wheat. Isolates of non-pathogenic Fusarium spp. were more effective against ear infection, however, decreasing ear blight and deoxynivalenol in the harvested grain as much as the standard fungicide, tebuconazole. Experiments to test for control at these two stages in the disease cycle are continuing.