CO4033: Investigation of Fusarium mycotoxins in UK barley and oat production

Study Duration: May 2002 - June 2006

Contractor: Harper Adams University College

Fusarium mycotoxins are produced on cereal grains by many Fusarium species during fusarium ear blight infection. The most important ear blight pathogens are F. graminearum and F. culmorum which produce deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone and result in the contamination of grain with mycotoxins.

Grain contamination is dependent on a number of agronomic factors and the main aim of this project is to determine the effects of these factors on the level of fusarium contamination in barley and oat samples. The factors to be investigated include grain variety, cultivation methods, application of fungicides, crop rotation and growing region. In addition the difference in fusarium contamination of grain grown under organic and conventional production methods will be determined.

Results from the completed project will be used to advise growers on Good Agricultural Practice to reduce fusarium mycotoxins during barley and oat production, in advance of the European Commission setting limits for fusarium toxins in cereals and cereal products.

Each year samples of barley and oats from fields of known agronomy will be collected and analysed for ten trichothecenes including deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone. The mycotoxin content will be modelled against the agronomic practices applied to each field to identify the impact of each agronomic factor (e.g. variety, crop rotation, land cultivation and fungicide application).

Legislative limits were introduced in July 2006 for DON and zearalenone in cereals and results from the completed project were used to inform the UK Code of Good Agricultural Practice to reduce fusarium mycotoxins in cereals, which was issued by the Food Standards Agency.

This four-year project started in 2002 to ascertain the effects of agronomic practices on the concentration of fusarium mycotoxins in UK barley and oats over a number of seasons.

Overall the results showed that the incidence and concentration of most fusarium mycotoxins, including DON and zearalenone, were below the newly introduced legislative limits for both barley and oats. However, high levels of HT-2 and T-2 were detected in UK oat samples and modelling against agronomic factors identified a significant interaction between year and region. Further contributing factors and the full results of the project are detailed further in the final report.

The code of practice produced as a result of this project aims to help reduce mycotoxin levels in cereals through changes to cultivation and storage practices, thus reducing the risk to consumers and can be accessed via the web link below:

The final report is available from the Agency’s Information Centre.
To obtain a copy, please contact the Enquiry Desk, Information Services, Food Standards Agency (tel: 020 7276 8181/8182 or email: infocentre@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk)

For any enquiries concerning this research project, please contact the relevant Programme contact or email: science@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk