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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #326656
Title: Elevated [CO2] compromises both Type I and Type II wheat resistance to Fusarium head blight

Author
item Vaughan, Martha
item CUPERLOVIC-CULF, MIROSLAVA - National Research Council - Canada
item Vermillion, Karl
item Teresi, Jennifer
item McCormick, Susan

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/21/2016
Publication Date: 7/21/2016
Citation: Vaughan, M.M., Cuperlovic-Culf, M., Vermillion, K., Teresi, J.M., McCormick, S.P. 2016. Elevated [CO2] compromises both Type I and Type II wheat resistance to Fusarium head blight. Meeting Abstract.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Fusarium head blight (FHB) is one of the world’s most devastating wheat diseases, and results in significant yield loss and contamination of grain with harmful mycotoxins called trichothecenes. Despite emerging risks of increased mycotoxin contamination in food and feed associated with climate change, little is known about how rising [CO2] will influence natural wheat resistance mechanisms against Fusarium graminearum, the primary etiological agent of FHB. In this study the defense response of wheat plants grown at ambient (400 ppm) [CO2] and elevated (800 ppm) [CO2] was evaluated and compared. Both Type I, resistance to initial infection, and Type II, resistance to Fusarium spread throughout the wheat head, were compromised at elevated (800 ppm) [CO2]. The increase in disease was accompanied by increased pathogen biomass and trichothecene contamination.