Innovative cropping systems to reduce Fusarium mycotoxins in wheat

Fusarium head blight is a devastating fungal disease of wheat worldwide that causes yield loss and grain contamination with mycotoxins, such as deoxynivalenol and zearalenone. Effective reduction of mycotoxins in grain is crucial in order to improve food and feed safety. To reduce Fusarium mycotoxins in high-risk maize-wheat rotations under reduced or no tillage practices, we investigated three innovative cropping systems: (i) "cut-and-carry" biofumigation, (ii) maize intercropping and (iii) cover cropping. We demonstrated that the use of white mustard and Indian mustard as "cut-and-carry" biofumigant crops, intercrops with grain maize and interval cover crops after silage maize substantially reduced mycotoxins (32-76 %) in subsequent wheat. Berseem clover as a "cut-and-carry" biofumigant crop and winter pea as an interval cover crop also greatly decreased mycotoxins (53-87 %) in wheat. "Cut-and-carry" biofumigation and cover crops improved the yield of winter wheat by up to 15 % and spring wheat by up to 25 %, respectively. Based on these findings, we provide a synthesis of alternative cropping systems that effectively reduce Fusarium mycotoxins in wheat, thus improving food and feed safety. Nevertheless, the proposed cropping systems may increase production costs, and thus, any economic trade-offs should be further assessed to weigh potential conflicts between food/feed safety goals and economic viability.