Fungal Disease Management and Mycotoxin Prevention in Cereals

Dear Colleagues, 

Fungal diseases of grain cereals, including primarily wheat, maize, rice, and barley, cause worldwide substantial reduction of grain yield and quality, which negatively affects the harvest, storage, and subsequent marketability of the products. A further threat is represented by mycotoxins, produced by some widespread pathogens (e.g., Fusarium spp.), which determine a variety of adverse effects (from acute poisoning to long-term effects such as immune deficiency and cancer) to both human and livestock health. Regulations on maximum mycotoxins levels have been established worldwide to protect consumers from their harmful effects, and the public concern on food safety extends to excessive and inappropriate use of pesticides, whose residues are likewise dangerous for consumers, as well as the environment. 

An increasing and more demanding world population, coupled with environmental issues, including climate changes, altogether pose as an essential goal the search for new and sustainable strategies to mitigate the many negative impacts of widespread fungal diseases on cereal crops. In this view, the Special Issue aims at collecting the results of recent advances in fungal disease management, addressing different topics, such as:

- Management of agronomic practices;

- Integrated disease management strategies, including use of fungicides, natural molecules with antifungal activity or biological control agents;

- Model-driven decision support systems;

- Identification and characterization of plant mechanisms involved in resistance against fungal pathogens or mycotoxin detoxification;

- Identification and utilization of genetic resources for disease resistance;

- Integrated control measures of fungal infections and mycotoxin accumulation at post-harvest stage.

Prof. Dr. Carla Ceoloni
Dr. Silvio Tundo
Dr. Ljiljana Kuzmanović
Guest Editors

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