New tool discovered to fight Fusarium

The Agricultural Research Service (Ars) of the US Department of Agriculture (Usda) has discovered a gene that can be used to develop varieties of wheat that will be more resistant to Fusarium head blight (FHB). FHB, also known as scab, is caused by a fungal pathogen (Fusarium graminearum) and results in wheat loss.
According to the ARS, when the pathogen grows unchecked in infected grains, it releases mycotoxins that can induce vomiting in humans, as well as weight loss in livestock when they refuse to eat the grains.
The researchers found that the FHB7 gene effectively reduces FHB by detoxifying the mycotoxins secreted by the pathogen. The gene also confers resistance to crown rot, a wheat disease caused by a related pathogen. New varieties of wheat with better FHB resistance using FHB7 are expected to be available in a few years, the researchers said.