Milling & Baking News - February 8, 2005 - 31

E D U C A T I O N

A N D

R E S E A R C H

Bayer sponsors international forum to discuss fusarium
MONHEIM, GERMANY - A multidisciplinary collaborative
approach offers the best chance for finding ways to control fusarium. That was the conclusion of participants in a "Fusarium
Symposium" conducted recently in Monheim.
The event was sponsored by Bayer CropScience, which invited guests from 13 countries to learn about current research
into fusarium and to participate in an exchange of opinions
and strategies for tackling the disease.
Bayer said about 100 scientists, food industry and agricultural representatives and others participated.
While fighting fusarium has been an area of mounting concern in the U.S., Rudiger Scheitza of Bayer said the disease was

'The problems of cereal being attacked by
fusarium is a global one and has complex
repercussions on the economy of affected
countries.'
- Rudiger Scheitza, Bayer CropScience
more widespread. "The problems of cereal being attacked by
fusarium is a global one and has complex repercussions on the
economy of affected countries," Mr. Scheitza said.
Bayer described certain fusarium species as being "among
the most dangerous cereal diseases in the world." The company noted that the disease forms toxins that are poisonous

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to humans and animals, including deoxynivalenol, DON, also
known as vomitoxin.
Bayer, which makes several products aimed at controlling fusarium, said an integrated concept must
be developed if the disease is going to be
effectively controlled. "All the crop management techniques need to be combined
in order to prevent the infection of cereals
as far as possible and thus to suppress the
formation of mycotoxins," Bayer said.
Speakers at the symposium included
Carl Schwinke, Siemer Milling Co., Teutopolis, Ill. Mr. Schwinke said the cost
of sourcing non-local wheat for Siemer
Schwinke
mills in years that fusarium is a problem
adds 46c to 92c per cwt to the cost of
milling flour. Even after "importing" wheat from other areas,
millers struggle achieving targeted flour performance and consistency in fusarium-riddled years.
He noted that to fight the problem, milling companies in recent years have made significant investments in special equipment that helps remove infected kernels from the grist.
Test kits cost millers $80,000 to $100,000 per year, and testing
personnel cost up to $30,000 more, Mr. Schwinke said.
Another U.S. participant at the Monheim program was Marcia McMullen, a
well-known fusarium expert. Dr. McMullen is an extension plant pathologist at
North Dakota State University at Fargo.
Dr. McMullen estimated U.S. yield
losses totaling $2.3 billion from 199397, with further significant losses in the
subsequent years. Major problems from
chronic DON contamination occurred in
1996, 2001, 2003 and 2004. In 1996, the enMcMullen
tire Michigan white wheat crop was reduced to feed grain, Dr. McMullen said.
While efforts to control fusarium head blight largely were
regional before 1998, Dr. McMullen described the creation that
year of the U.S. Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative. The goal of
the collaboration is to "develop as quickly as possible effective
control measures that minimize the threat of scab to the producers, processors and consumers of wheat and barley."
A member of the initiative's executive committee, Dr. McMullen noted that the effort has received $5 million in annual
funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The initiative has looked at many ways in which the effects
of fusarium may be lessened. Dr. McMullen said producers
have increased rotations of soybean and canola acreage in response to fusarium epidemics. For instance, North Dakota soybean acreage climbed to 3.3 million acres in 2004 from 640,000
acres in 1994. Similarly, canola acreage rose to 1.2 million acres
in 2004 from 130,000 acres in 1993.
During this same time span, wheat acreage in North Dakota
declined 26% from 1993 to 2004, to 10.9 million acres.
Dr. McMullen reviewed studies of the efficacy of various
fungicides in controlling fusarium. In North Dakota, she said
990,000 wheat acres, or about 13% of the total, were spayed
at early flowering stage in 2003 and 2004 with the BayerCropScience fungicide Folicur.
She suggested that more education and demonstrations of
the value of fungicides were needed.
Other speakers at the forum discussed a range of topics
related to fusarium from the perspective of several nations,
including France, Germany, Argentina and Hungary. MBN
bakingbusiness.com / world-grain.com

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Milling & Baking News - February 8, 2005

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