Fusarium culmorum
cereal culm rot
Fusarium culmorum f. 1, Fusarium culmorum var. leteius, Fusarium culmorum var. majus, Fusarium roseum, Fusarium roseum cv. culmorum, Fusarium roseum f.sp. cerealis cv. culmorum, Fusisporium culmorum
Worldwide
Widespread
2025-12-05
fungus
Korea
Primarily grains and grasses. Reported on a wide range of hosts, but usually as a probable saprophyte. Main: oats, barley, ryegrass, wheat; Other Leek, cucumber, grasses
FUSACU
Fusarium culmorum is a soilborne fungus that infects cereals, causing seedling blight, foot and root rot, and head blight. It survives in soil and crop residues and can produce harmful mycotoxins. Infection is favored by wet conditions, and while it can be seedborne, soil and residue are the main sources of inoculum.
Crops
Avena sativa
oat
Yes
FUSACU-1, FUSACU-3
Infection of seed grain of oat by Fusarium culmorum is well established and accepted. Fusarium culmorum in oat grain produces mycotoxins.
Yes
Blotter Incubation
Though blotter incubation assays are commonly used for fungal contamination of seed, no references were found indicating this test has been validated or standardized.
FUSACU-5, FUSACU-6
Seed treatments (chemical and biological)
FUSACU-1
Fusarium culmorum In: Crop Protection Compendium. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. www.cabi.org/cpc.
Richardson MJ, 1990. An Annotated List of Seed-borne Disease. International Seed Testing Association, Zurich, Switzerland
Limonard, T. (1966). A modified blotter test for seed health. Netherlands Journal of Plant Pathology, 72, 319–321.
Mead HW, Broadfoot WC, and Machacek JE, 1950. A Study of Some Seed-Borne Diseases of Cereals in Canada: I. Comparison of Seed Testing Methods. Scientific Agriculture. 30:350-360
Hordeum vulgare
barley
Yes
FUSACU-1, FUSACU-2, FUSACU-7
Infection of seed grain of barley by Fusarium culmorum is well established and accepted. Fusarium culmorum in barley grain produces mycotoxins.
Yes
Blotter incubation
Though blotter incubation assays are commonly used for fungal contamination of seed, no references were found indicating this test has been validated or standardized.
FUSACU-5
Seed Treatments (biological and chemical)
Resistant varieties are available. Seed treatments most effective for planting seed.
FUSACU-1
Fusarium culmorum In: Crop Protection Compendium. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. www.cabi.org/cpc.
Farr, D.F. and Rossman, A.Y. Fungal Databases, Systematic Mycology and Microbiology Laboratory, ARS, USDA. 2019, http://nt.ars-grin.gov/fungaldatabases/
Oliveria P, Mauch A, Jacob F, and Ardendt AK. 2012. Impact of Fusarium Culmorum-Infected Barley Malt Grains on Brewing and Beer Quality. Journal of the American Society of Brewing Chemists 70:186-194
Limonard, T. (1966). A modified blotter test for seed health. Netherlands Journal of Plant Pathology, 72, 319–321.
Poaceae family
grasses
No
FUSACU-8, FUSACU-11, FUSACU-3
Pathway not proven. FUSACU-8 identified Fusarium culmorum on several grass seed species, these were found only in laboratory seed quality tests and no evidence was presented that the fungi were seed transmitted. More recent studies have been less conclusive about seed as a pathway in grass species.
Yes
Blotter germination.
Fusarium found on standard germination testing conditions. No seed health test found or validated.
FUSACU-5, FUSACU-8
Crosier W and Weimer D. 1939. Some Fungi Associated with Grass Seed. Proceedings of the Association of Official Seed Analysts of North America 31:120-124
Inch S, and Gilbert J. 2003. The incidence of Fusarium species recovered
from inflorescences of wild grasses in southern
Manitoba. Can. J. Plant Pathol. 25: 379–383
Richardson MJ, 1990. An Annotated List of Seed-borne Disease. International Seed Testing Association, Zurich, Switzerland
Limonard, T. (1966). A modified blotter test for seed health. Netherlands Journal of Plant Pathology, 72, 319–321.
Secale cereale
rye
Yes
FUSACU-1, FUSACU-3
Seed of rye can be infected by this pathogen and cause seedling rots under unfavorable conditions (wet, saturated soils).
Yes
Blotter Incubation
Though blotter incubation assays are commonly used for fungal contamination of seed, no references were found indicating this test has been validated or standardized.
FUSACU-5
Seed treatmentsÂ
A wide range of chemical seed treatments and Streptomyces antimycoticus FZB53 as a biocontrol agent are effective
FUSACU-1
Fusarium culmorum In: Crop Protection Compendium. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. www.cabi.org/cpc.
Richardson MJ, 1990. An Annotated List of Seed-borne Disease. International Seed Testing Association, Zurich, Switzerland
Limonard, T. (1966). A modified blotter test for seed health. Netherlands Journal of Plant Pathology, 72, 319–321.
Triticum aestivum
wheat
Yes
FUSACU-1, FUSACU-3, FUSACU-9
Infection of seed and grain of barley by Fusarium culmorum is well established and accepted. Fusarium culmorum in wheat grain produces mycotoxins.
Yes
Blotter Incubation
Though blotter incubation assays are commonly used for fungal contamination of seed, no references were found indicating this test has been validated or standardized.
FUSACU-5
Seed Treatments (biological and chemical)
Resistant varieties are available. Seed treatments most effective for planting seed.
FUSACU-1
Fusarium culmorum In: Crop Protection Compendium. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. www.cabi.org/cpc.
Richardson MJ, 1990. An Annotated List of Seed-borne Disease. International Seed Testing Association, Zurich, Switzerland
Roberti, R., Flori, P., Pisi, A., Brunelli, A. and Cesari, A. 2000. Evaluation of biological seed treatment of wheat for the control of seed-borne Fusarium culmorum. J. Plant Dis. Prot. 107: 484–493.
Limonard, T. (1966). A modified blotter test for seed health. Netherlands Journal of Plant Pathology, 72, 319–321.
Zea mays
corn
Yes
FUSACU-1, FUSACU-4
Fusarium culmorum is one of several fusaria that can be found on corn grain. It is common in Canada and northern Europe but not common in seed production areas in the US (Munkvold, personal communication, 2019).
Yes
Blotter incubation
A standard test for seed health for Fusarium spp. is described.
Blotter incubation.
FUSACU-10
Seed Treatments (biological and chemical)
Common seed conditioning practices in the corn seed industry (gravity separation and color sorting) are effective for all fusaria that may be associated with seed corn (Munkvold, personnel communication, 2019)
FUSACU-1
Fusarium culmorum In: Crop Protection Compendium. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. www.cabi.org/cpc.
McGee, DC. 1988. Maize Diseases: A reference Source for Seed Technologists. APS Press, St. Paul, MN USA. 150 pp.
Seed Health Testing Method for Fusarium Mz 7.1 National Seed Health System, 2019. www.seedhealth.org
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