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Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the most important cereals around the world since it is widely used for food and feed. This cereal is relevant to the economy of several countries due to its volume of production and exportation. During pre-harvest stages this crop is susceptible to infection by species of Aspergillus section Flavi and Fusarium and prone to mycotoxin contamination, mainly aflatoxins and fumonisins. Additionally, the climate change scenario predicted for next decades, including increases in the global temperature, CO2 levels and periods of hydric stress, would contribute to higher levels of mycotoxins worldwide. In this context, there is a need to find successful, feasible and eco-friendly tools for an effective mycotoxin mitigation in order to guarantee food security and safety. This review summarises the current situation of aflatoxin and fumonisin contamination in maize, highlighting the importance of the evaluation and implementation of biocontrol strategies at pre-harvest stage in the frame of an integrated control management to reduce the impact of mycotoxin accumulation under the risk of climate change expected for the next years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soybean ( Glycine max) is the most important crop in Argentina. At present Fusarium graminearum is recognized as a primary pathogen of soybean in several countries in the Americas, mainly causing seed and root rot and pre- and post-emergence damping off. However, no information about infections at later growth stages of soybean development and pathogenicity of F. graminearum species complex is available. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to compare the pathogenicity of F. graminearum and F. meridionale isolates towards soybean under field conditions and to evaluate the degree of pathogenicity and trichothecene production of these two phylogenetic species that express different chemotypes. Six isolates of F. graminearum and F. meridionale were evaluated during 2012/13 and 2013/14 soybean growing seasons for pod blight severity, percentage of seed infected in pods and kernel weight reduction. The results showed a higher aggressiveness of both F. graminearum and F. meridionale species during the 2013/14 season. However, the differences in pathogenicity observed between the seasons were not reflected in a distinct trichothecene concentration in soybean seeds at maturity. Fusarium meridionale isolates showed similar pathogenicity to F. graminearum isolates but they were not able to produce this toxin in planta during the two field trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]