INTEGRATED RESOURCES SUPPORTING INQUIRIES ABOUT THE EVOLUTION, PATHOLOGY AND ECOLOGY OF FUSARIUM TOWARDS THE GOAL OF ENSURING FOOD SECURITY AND SAFETY

In the coming decades, population growth and rising consumption per capita around the world will steadilyincrease the amount of additional food, feed and fiber needed. Meeting this need faces a number of complexchallenges, one of which is how to minimize crop loss caused by diverse pathogenic and toxigenicmicroorganisms without continuous heavy reliance on synthetic pesticides. Through this project, we will generatedata and tools that will help effectively manage one of the most threatening groups of fungi, Fusarium. Plantpathogenic Fusarium species threaten practically every major food and ornamental crop around the world, as wellas many plants of environmental significance. Some species also produce several types of metabolites that arehighly toxic to animals and plants. Using accumulated resources and expertise on Fusarium at Penn State, we willgenerate data and tools that will support the following: (a) accurate identification of Fusarium species; (b)research on their biology, ecology, and pathology; and (c) application of accumulated knowledge to solve variousproblems.