Main

Fusarium head blight (FHB), one of the most destructive diseases of wheat and barley in warm and humid regions, seriously threatens wheat and barley production around the world. In addition to the affect the fungus has on yields, the toxins produced by the Fusarium fungus cause acute food poisoning in people and harm animals that eat infected grain. Many institutions around the world have devoted huge amounts of resources to combat this disease, and many have met with success. However, it is the nature of life to change and to adapt, and Fusarium is no exception. The global community is facing the threat of imminent epidemics, and unless steps are taken to defeat the pathogen before it gains a foothold around the world, this threat will materialize into a much greater problem. This is a global problem, and as such requires a global response. Research institutions around the world have made excellent headway in dealing with this disease, but such a wide-spread problem will not be overcome by anything less than a holistic approach. The mission of the Global Fusarium Initiative is to provide a platform for international collaboration on Fusarium research projects and to function as a world wide facilitator of information exchange, germplasm enrichment, development of breeding methods and materials, and to encourage communication and cooperation between individuals, institutions and governments focusing on this disease.  After all, none of us is as powerful as all of us.

---