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An abstract of the article "Evaluation Scale of Fusarium Head Blight Symptoms in Barley," by M. Giannini, S. Tonti, A. Prodi, G. Innocenti, P. Nipoti and A. Pisi is presented.

Fusarium proliferatum, a cosmopolitan saprophytic species, is also known to be a pathogen of garlic. Rot of stored bulbs is an emerging problem that affects Allium sativum L. cultivations worldwide. The presence of the pathogen on plants during the growing season is hard to predict, as infected plants only show yellowing and deterioration of leaves, that can be easily confused with the normal senescence phenomenon. After harvest, during the conservation stage, bulbs undergo a slow deterioration process, caused by the pathogen. Bulbs appear emptied and softened, under the sheath cloves present brown necrotic polygonal spots with a spongy centre, possibly evolving in black depressed lesions. During 2012, we performed a mycological screening in order to evaluate the presence of F. proliferatum on asymptomatic garlic plants growing in the north-east of Italy. Fields were chosen for their different agronomic conditions. Field samples consisted in whole plants eradicated with roots and bulbs. Fungal colonies morphologically resembling F. proliferatum were recovered from all the bulbs examined. The morphological identification was confirmed by Translation Elongation Factor 1-alpha (TEF) gene sequencing. The high frequency of recovery of F. proliferatum suggests a systemic infection before the harvesting stage. Moreover, the presence of this fungus is clearly not correlated to the different agronomic practices; this finding suggest a possible role of the reproduction material in the pathogen spread. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2011 about 247,000 ha were cultivated in Italy with barley (13% of the total surface planted with cereals), mainly intended, in order of importance, for livestock feed, malt industry and human food. Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a disease of small-grain cereals which causes yield reduction and losses in grain quality and that may produce accumulation of secondary metabolites that pose a health risk to humans and animals. The species frequently associated with FHB of cereals in Europe are F. gramin- earum Schwabe, F. culmorum (W. G. Smith) Sacc. and F. avenaceum (Fr.) Sacc. but in the last years particular importance was given to species comprised in the Sporotrichiella Section as F. poae, F. langsethiae and F. sporotrichioides. Thirty kernel samples of distic and polistic barley, hulless and covered, were analyzed for fungal presence. The samples were collected during 2011 from different Italian regions, i.e. Emilia Romagna, Marche, Latium and Apulia. Morphological identification of different Fusarium species was done, species-specific PCR assay were used for confirmation of some species. F. poae and F. tricinctum were mainly detected, followed by F. langsethiae and F. avenaceum. The finding of a high incidence of species belonging to Sporotrichiella complex suggests the possible risk of the presence of both type A and B trichotechenes in barley grains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]