MYCOLab Ai Logo - gold and army green

Pest categorisation of Fusarium pseudograminearum

Summary

Fusarium pseudograminearum is a harmful fungus that infects cereal crops like wheat and barley, causing crown rot and head blight diseases that reduce crop yields and contaminate grain with toxic compounds. The fungus is already present in parts of southern Europe but is not widely distributed in the EU. Scientists evaluated whether this pathogen should be classified as a quarantine pest requiring strict import controls to prevent its spread across Europe.

Background

Fusarium pseudograminearum is a soil-borne fungal pathogen causing Fusarium crown rot and occasionally Fusarium head blight on small grain cereals. The pathogen has been reported in arid and semi-arid regions globally and in Italy since 1994 and Spain on field-grown durum wheat, but its actual EU distribution remains uncertain.

Objective

The EFSA Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of Fusarium pseudograminearum to determine whether it fulfils the criteria of a potential Union quarantine pest for the EU and to inform European Commission decision-making regarding its inclusion in Commission Implementing Regulation 2019/2072.

Results

F. pseudograminearum is confirmed present in the EU (Italy and Spain) with restricted distribution. Seeds of host plants and soil/substrates are main entry pathways. The pathogen could establish in southern EU regions with suitable climatic conditions. No crop losses have been reported in the EU, but significant impacts occur in non-EU areas affecting wheat, barley, triticale and soybean crops relevant to the EU.

Conclusion

The Panel concludes that F. pseudograminearum satisfies all criteria to be regarded as a potential Union quarantine pest. Phytosanitary measures are available to prevent introduction and mitigate spread risk, including requirements for phytosanitary certificates and prohibitions on certain plant material imports from infested countries.
  • Published in:EFSA Journal,
  • Study Type:Risk Assessment,
  • Source: PMID: 35784814
Scroll to Top