Wheat And Barley Stakeholders Gather At FHB Forum To Share Progress, Successes

Stakeholders from the wheat and barley industries gathered with experts and researchers in Denver this month to exchange information and ideas about ongoing efforts that have successfully reduced risks of scab – also known as Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) – and the resulting deoxynivalenol (DON).

Nearly 200 people attended the December 7 to 9 event, organized by the U.S. Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative (USWBSI).

“The National FHB Forum is where collaboration drives progress,” said Ruth Dill-Macky, a USWBSI researcher co-chair and a University of Minnesota plant pathology professor. “It’s a unique opportunity for farmers, researchers and industry partners to exchange ideas and address challenges that shape our collective e?orts to reduce the impact of FHB on wheat and barley.”

An Important Mission

The USWBSI, a national collection of researchers, has a mission of minimizing the threat of scab, including the production of mycotoxins, for wheat and barley producers and processors. The USWBSI’s annual budget comes from the federal government and is appropriated through USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and research projects are funded in at least 30 states.

Lori Wickett, Research and Communications Director for the Montana Wheat and Barley Committee (MWBC), was a first-time attendee at the FHB Forum. She immediately recognized the importance of bringing together people who are working on issues that affect wheat and barley producers.

“The progress that is being made is very meaningful to the growers we represent, and to hear from the people involved in the research and science has great value,” she said.