DON mycotoxin contamination of grain is likely to be low this year, although toxin levels could be higher where wheat has lodged early and if bad weather delays harvest.
Over 90 per cent of the 300 samples collected under the national winter wheat survey show symptoms of fusarium head blight (FHB), caused predominantly by microdochium species, which are non-toxin producers.
Fusarium poae, fusarium culmorum and fusarium graminearum, which produce the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON), have been much less frequent and, where they are present, levels have been low – less than one per cent of ears affected.
While FHB symptoms are prevalent in the cereal crop, DON contamination of grain is likely to be low, says CropMonitor. However, toxin levels could be raised where crops have lodged early and if the harvest is delayed through bad weather.