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Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) is a cereal disease widespread throughout the world and mainly studied in wheat. In barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) its fungal agents can affect yield crops and reduce the quality of grains for beer manufacture due to the production of several mycotoxins. Furthermore, during the malting process, some Fusarium species can produce special proteins called “hydrophobins” responsible of “beer gushing” that influences beer quality. Artificial inoculations on cv Quench with Fusarium graminearum, F. culmorum and F. poae have been performed in experimental field trials in the years 2013-2014, to evaluate the effects of FHB on barley malt. Disease incidence and severity were assessed. Fusarium Damaged Kernels (FDK), the presence of Deoxynivalenol (DON), T-2 and HT-2 mycotoxins were evaluated. In addition, the species of Fusarium isolated were morphologically and molecularly identified. The results showed that the average incidence of mixed inoculum (F. graminearum and F. culmorum) was 15% while F. poae alone 28%. These low values were confirmed by FDK. Fusarium spp. was reisolated on 2% of the tested kernels, and F. culmorum was the prevalent species. The levels of DON, T-2 and HT-2 mycotoxins were lower than the limits set by the European regulations and recommendations. We can conclude that the trends of the temperature and precipitation, in the investigated area and at the time of the study, were not favorable for the establishment of FHB disease. Then the grains of barley malt maintained their quality avoiding the gushing risk.

The worldwide increase in the number and use of agrochemicals impacts nearby soil and freshwater ecosystems. Beyond the excess in applications and dosages, the inadequate management of remnants and the rinsing water of containers and application equipment worsen this problem, creating point sources of pollution. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) such as photocatalytic and photo-oxidation processes have been successfully applied in degrading organic pollutants. We developed a simple prototype to be used at farms for quickly degrading pesticides in water solutions by exploiting a UV–H2O2-mediated AOP. As representative compounds, we selected the insecticide imidacloprid, the herbicide terbuthylazine, and the fungicide azoxystrobin, all in their commercial formulation. The device efficiency was investigated through the disappearance of the parent molecule and the degree of mineralization. The toxicity of the pesticide solutions, before and during the treatment, was assessed by Vibrio fischeri and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata inhibition assays. The results obtained have demonstrated a cost-effective, viable alternative for detoxifying the pesticide solutions before their disposal into the environment, even though the compounds, or their photoproducts, showed different sensitivities to physicochemical degradation. The bioassays revealed changes in the inhibitory effects on the organisms in agreement with the analytical data.