Harvesting behaviour of three central European rodents: Identifying the rodent pest in cereals

In central Europe, rodent damage in cereal crops is usually attributed to the common vole but these are caused by other rodents such as Apodemus mice as well. This raises a practical problem of identifying the rodent pests causing the damage to cereals at the time of harvest. To facilitate field differentiation between the damage caused by voles or mice, we conducted laboratory experiments in which the common vole, wood mouse and pygmy field mouse were presented with standing culms of wheat. Harvesting behaviour in these rodents differed strikingly. Wood mice first climbed and then cut down the culm at a height of about 20 cm. Pygmy field mice climbed to the top of the culm, harvesting only the ear. Voles cut the culm close to the ground leaving the stubble of about 8 cm in height. Our observations provide a quick and simple clue for identifying a causal rodent species in cereals and help in adopting a proper strategy for population management of a pest rodent.     

Laboratory evaluation of diatomaceous earth deposits mined from several locations in central and southeastern Europe as potential protectants against coleopteran grain pests

Diatomaceous earth (DE) deposits from regions of central and southeastern Europe were evaluated for their insecticidal efficacy against Sitophilus oryzae (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) (Coleoptera: Bostrychidae) and Tribolium confusum Jacquelin du Val (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) in comparison with the commercially available DE formulation SilicoSec. The effects of temperature, RH, grain commodity (wheat, barley, maize, rice), application method (spraying vs. dusting) were evaluated. FYROM, a DE from the Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia, was the most effective of the DE deposits for grain treatment, whereas the least effective was from Greece (named Crete). However, for surface treatment, Slovenia was the most effective followed by Elassona 1 and Begora. Increase of temperature increased DE efficacy, while the reverse was noted with the increase of RH. Furthermore, the DEs were more effective in barley or wheat than in maize or rice. Neither the mined DEs nor SilicoSec were able to suppress progeny production of the tested species after previous exposure on the treated commodities. Generally, dust application of DEs was more efficacious than spraying against S. oryzae and T. confusum. However, spraying of wheat significantly reduced the bulk density (test weight) compared to dusting. For surface treatment, after 1 d of exposure, Slovenia was the most effective of the mined DEs followed by Elassona 1 and Begora, whereas after 6 d of exposure the mortality was almost complete (>99%) with all three DEs. More than 6 d of exposure were required for an effective control of T. confusum adults with the remainder of the mined DEs.     

Barley for food: Characteristics,improvement, and renewed interest

Barley (Hordeum vulgare vulgare L.) is an ancient cereal grain, which upon domestication has evolved from largely a food grain to a feed and malting grain. However, barley food use today remains important in some cultures around the world, particularly in Asia and northern Africa, and there is renewed interest throughout the world in barley food because of its nutritional value. This review covers basic and general information on barley food use and barley grain processing for food use, as well as an in-depth look at several major aspects/traits of interest for barley food use including kernel hardness and colour, grain starch, and β-glucan contents. These traits are described in terms of their effects on processing and nutrition, as well as their inheritance and the prospects for barley improvement through breeding. Whereas, the aspects listed above have been studied relatively extensively in barley in terms of content, form, genetics, physiology, and in some cases nutritional quality, little is know about functional properties for processing and food product development. Renewed interest in barley for food uses largely centres around the effects of β-glucans on lowering blood cholesterol levels and glycemic index. Wholegrain barley foods also appear to be associated with increased satiety and weight loss. There is great potential to utilise barley in a large number of cereal-based food products as a substitute partially or wholly for currently used cereal grains such as wheat (Triticum aestivum), oat (Avena sativa), rice (Oryza sativa), and maize (Zea mays).     

Predicting Jatropha curcas seed-oil content, oil composition and protein content using near-infrared spectroscopy—A quick and non-destructive method

The potential of near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) to estimate the oil content, fatty acid composition, and protein content of Jatropha curcas seeds was studied. Seventy-four intact kernels from various sources were scanned by NIRS. All samples were analyzed for oil content (hexane extractions), fatty acid composition (gas chromatography), and protein content (Kjeldahl). Calibration equations were developed for oil content, individual fatty acids (oleic C18:1, linoleic C18:2, stearic C18:0 and palmitic C16:0), and protein content. The performance of the calibration equations was evaluated through external and cross-validation. The results showed that NIRS was a reliable, accurate and nondestructive technique to estimate oil and protein contents, as well as oleic and linoleic fatty acid concentrations in J. curcas kernels; NIRS provides a rapid, simple, and cost-effective alternative method for screening intact J. curcas kernels.     

Intercropping reduces Mycosphaerella pinodes severity and delays upward progress on the pea plant

Mycosphaerella pinodes is a serious pea disease of worldwide distribution. The increasing interest of sustainable tools for disease control, together with the lack of sufficient levels of genetic resistance has brought our interest in the use of intercropping as a tool for management of this disease. Effect of intercropping on M. pinodes severity was studied in field experiments performed in Spain and Tunisia, in which a susceptible pea cultivar was grown as monocrop and as two species mixed intercrop with either faba bean, barley, oat, triticale or wheat. Disease was significantly reduced in terms of both percent of diseased tissue per plant and vertical progress of lesions when pea was intercropped. Faba bean and triticale intercropped with pea showed the highest suppressive ability with above 60% of disease reduction. Oat, barley and wheat showed low to moderate M. pinodes suppressive effects. Suppressive effects can be ascribed to a combined reduction of host biomass, altered microclimate and physical barrier to spore dispersal.     

Characterization of seed proteome in Brachypodium distachyon

Brachypodium distachyon, an emerging model plant system for some economically important temperate grasses such as wheat, barley and switchgrass, has recently caught wide attention in modern biological research. In the current study, the glutenin, albumin and globulin components of 13 B. distachyon accessions were analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) followed by peptide mass finger printing (PMF) and MS/MS protein identification. Abundant wheat low molecular weight glutenin subunit (LMW-GS) like proteins and a few high molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GS) with low expression level were detected in B. distachyon. A total of 18 storage proteins and 15 albumin proteins were identified through PMF and MS/MS. The results demonstrated that the major seed storage proteins in B. distachyon are wheat LMW-GS like proteins and globulins. The identified albumins and globulins were mostly various enzymes that were classified into five groups according to their functions. The 2-DE spot distribution and MS results suggested that post-translational modifications (PTMs) such as phosphorylations and glycosylations are common phenomena in B. distachyon seed proteome.     

Novel allelic variants encoded at the Glu-D3 locus in bread wheat

Low-molecular weight glutenin subunits (LWM-GS) are important components of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) gluten, with important effects on end-use quality. The LMW-GS are encoded at Glu-3 loci (Glu-A3, Glu-B3 and Glu-D3, on the short arms of chromosomes 1A, 1B and 1D), each of which exhibits extensive allelic variation. Each locus encodes numerous LMW-GS, some of which have similar electrophoretic mobilities, making it difficult to distinguish among Glu-3 loci. Alleles of the Glu-D3 locus of bread wheat are considered the most problematic to assign. To date, six Glu-D3 alleles, designated a, b, c, d, e and f, have been reported. We report five previously undescribed alleles (g, h, i, j and k), and describe a method for characterizing them using a combination of SDS-PAGE and multiplexed PCR-based DNA markers. This method could be used for accurate identification of Glu-D3 alleles, permitting the estimation of the effects of these alleles on end-use quality and the selection of desirable alleles and allelic combinations in wheat breeding.     

Effects of crop mixtures on chocolate spot development on faba bean grown in mediterranean climates

Chocolate spot incited by Botrytis fabae is a serious faba bean disease of worldwide distribution. The increasing interest in sustainable tools for disease control, together with the lack of sufficient levels of genetic resistance triggered our interest in the use of intercropping as a tool for the management of this disease. The effect of intercropping on chocolate spot severity was studied in field experiments performed in Egypt, the Palestinian Territories, Spain and Tunisia, in which a susceptible faba bean cultivar was grown as a monocrop or with two mixed species intercrops of either barley, oat, triticale, wheat, pea or common vetch, or with three mixed species intercrops of wheat and berseem clover. Chocolate spot was significantly reduced when faba bean was intercropped with cereals, but not when intercropped with legumes. Suppressive effects can be ascribed to a combination of host biomass reduction, altered microclimate and physical barriers to spore dispersal.     

Feeding behavior of a potential insect pest, Lygus hesperus, on four new industrial crops for the arid southwestern USA

Camelina (Camelina sativa), guayule (Parthenium argentatum), lesquerella (Physaria fendleri), and vernonia (Centrapalus pauciflorus [formerly Vernonia galamensis]) are either under limited commercial production or being developed for production in the southwestern USA. Insect pests are a potential economic threat to all these new crops, with Lygus hesperus, the western tarnished plant bug, among the most prominent due to its regional abundance and propensity to feed on reproductive plant tissue. The objectives of this study were to establish baseline data on the feeding behavior and potential impact of L. hesperus on camelina, guayule, lesquerella and vernonia. Behavioral observations of adult females and males, and nymphs of this insect were made in the laboratory. Insects spent ≈35% of their time either probing (=tasting) or feeding on various reproductive and vegetative tissues of guayule, lesquerella or vernonia, but only 20% on camelina. When insects did probe and feed they preferred reproductive tissues, primarily flowers and siliques/achenes, and there were differences in these behaviors relative to crop but not generally to insect stage or sex. Insects probed and fed more on flower tissue of guayule and vernonia compared with camelina and lesquerella, and more on siliques of lesquerella compared with achenes of vernonia. When probing and feeding on vegetative tissue, there was generally a preference for stems compared with leaves in all crops except guayule. Results show that L. hesperus will readily feed on the economically important tissues of all crops, and although research has shown that this feeding did not consistently affect lesquerella yield, further work will be needed to determine if such feeding poses a risk to commercial production of camelina, guayule or vernonia.     

Genetic characterization of kernel polyphenol oxidases in wheat and related species

Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity causes undesirable darkening of raw Asian noodles and other wheat products. In this study we investigate the genetic origins and diversity of wheat kernel PPO. PPO was characterized via activity assays, antigenic staining, and Southern blots in Triticum aestivum, Triticum dicoccoides, Triticum durum, Triticum dicoccum, Triticum monococcum, Triticum urartu, Aegilops speltoides, and Aegilops tauschii. Among these species, PPO activity was well-correlated with antigenic staining intensity toward a wheat kernel-type PPO antibody. High PPO activity was observed in all three T. monococcum accessions (A^m genome), one Ae. speltoides accession, one T. durum accession, and two hexaploid wheat cultivars. Southern blots suggested the presence of two or more kernel-type PPO genes in diploid progenitors of the hexaploid A, B, and D genomes. Whole-kernel PPO activity was evaluated in disomic substitution lines derived from three T. dicoccoides accessions in the background of T. durum ‘Langdon’. PPO activity was primarily associated with chromosome 2A and to a much lower degree with chromosome 2B. DNA sequence comparisons showed that the intron associated with the high PPO allele on chromosome 2AL of hexaploid wheat had 94% nucleotide identity with the homeologous intron found in T. monococcum, a species with high kernel PPO activity. This implies that the ancestral PPO allele on the A genome is one of the high activity, and the low PPO allele found in hexaploid wheat represents a relatively recent genetic alteration. Results confirm the presence of multiple kernel-type PPO genes in the diploid and tetraploid progenitors and relatives of hexaploid wheat. However, it is likely that relatively few of the many kernel-type PPO genes present in wheat contribute substantially to kernel PPO activity. A single genetic locus on homeologous group 2 chromosomes may be the primary cause of high PPO activity in wheat kernels.     

Genetic analysis of field resistance to tan spot in spring wheat

Tan spot, caused by Pyrenophora tritici-repentis (Died.) Drechs., is an important constraint to wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yield in many countries. Since the inheritance of field resistance to tan spot is poorly understood, this study was conducted to determine the genetic control of resistance in the field. Resistance was measured as disease severity caused by P. tritici-repentis race 1 in four crosses involving five wheat parents: parent 1 (P₁) = catbird; parent 2 (P₂) = Milan/Shanghai-7; parent 3 (P₃) = Alondra/Coc//Ures; parent 4 (P₄) = Bcb//Dundee/Gul/3/Gul); parent 5 (P₅) = ND/VG9144//Kal/BB/3/Yaco/4/Chil. P₁, P₂ and P₃ were resistant and P₄ was moderately resistant, whereas P₅ was susceptible to tan spot. The F₂-derived F₃ families and the parents were field evaluated at El Batán, Mexico, in 1996. When all the plants within a F₃ family expressed low levels of disease severity similar to that of the resistant parent it was classified resistant (R), otherwise the progeny was classified as susceptible (S). The progeny of the three crosses of the susceptible parent with the resistant and moderately resistant parents P₂, P₃, and P₄ segregated as 3R:13S whereas the progeny in the cross with P₁ showed a segregation ratio of 1R:15S. This suggests that each resistant parent possessed two genes conditioning resistance to tan spot severity caused by P. tritici-repentis race 1. Information on the inheritance of resistance measured as disease severity on adult plants under field conditions is of practical importance for wheat breeding programs seeking improvement in tan spot resistance.     

Persistence and efficacy of spinosad on wheat,maize and barley grains against four major stored product pests

The insecticidal and residual effect of spinosad on wheat, maize and barley grain was evaluated in the laboratory against adults of Sitophilus oryzae (F.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) (Coleoptera: Bostrychidae), Tribolium confusum (DuVal) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), Cryptolestes ferrugineus (Stephens) (Coleoptera: Laemophloeidae) as well as against larvae of T. confusum. Spinosad was applied as a solution to 2 kg lots of each commodity at three concentrations, 0.1, 0.5 and 1 ppm, and the treated grain quantities were kept at 25 °C and 65% RH. Samples were taken from each concentration-commodity combination at the day of storage and every 30 d for 6 consecutive months (6 bioassays). The test species were exposed for 14 d to the samples and mortality and reproduction were assessed over this exposure interval. With the exception of T. confusum, 1 ppm of spinosad was highly effective against the remainder of the tested species and provided protection for a period of storage at least 4 months. Although in general, spinosad performance was not very much affected by the grain type, efficacy on maize was less stable over the 6-month period of storage and declined sooner compared to the other commodities. Spinosad almost suppressed progeny production of R. dominica during the storage period, but did not suppress progeny of the other species, since progeny were recorded even 30 d post application especially with the lowest of the tested concentrations. The results of this study indicated that spinosad may provide suitable protection for 6 months against S. oryzae or R. dominica, but is not suitable for long-term protection against T. confusum or C. ferrugineus.     

Isolation and characterization of EMS-induced Dy10 and Ax1 high molecular weight glutenin subunit deficient mutant lines of elite hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cv. Summit

The mixing properties of the dough are critical in the production of bread and other food products derived from wheat. The high molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GS) are major determinants of wheat dough processing qualities. The different alleles of the HMW-GS genes in hexaploid wheat vary in their effect on dough quality. To determine the contribution of the individual HMW-GS alleles, lines deficient in HMW-GS proteins were generated by chemical mutagenesis in the elite bread wheat Triticum aestivum cv. Summit. In this report we describe the identification and characterization of Dy10 and Ax1 deficient lines. Examination of the effect of Dy10 and Ax1 deficiency on dough rheological properties by mixography showed shorter mixing time to reach peak resistance, and weaker and less extensible doughs relative to the wild type control. This is the first time that the role of Dy10 in vivo has been examined apart from the Dx5 + Dy10 allelic pair combination.     

Evaluation of post-emergence herbicides for the control of wild oat (Avena fatua L.) in wheat and barley in Argentina

Wild oat (Avena fatua L.) is the most troublesome weed in cereal crops in Argentina. With the aim of studying the effects of different herbicides, doses, and wild oat growth stage at application on weed control and crop yield, field experiments were conducted in wheat and barley crops during three growing seasons in the south of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. Treatments were post-emergence applications of new herbicide, pinoxaden + cloquintocet mexyl (5%-1.25%), at doses that ranged from 20 g to 60 g a.i. pinoxaden ha⁻¹, applied at two to three leaves and the beginning of tillering of wild oat. In addition, standard treatments were included and applied at the same wild oat growth stages. Diclofop methyl at 511 g a.i. ha⁻¹ and fenoxaprop-p-ethyl at 55 g a.i. ha⁻¹ were applied in barley. In wheat, diclofop methyl was replaced by clodinafop-propargyl + cloquintocet mexyl (24%-6%) at 36 g a.i. clodinafop-propargyl + 9 g cloquintocet mexyl ha⁻¹ and in 2008/09 wheat experiments, iodosulfuron plus metsulfuron methyl (5%-60%) at 3.75 g a.i. ha⁻¹ + 3 g a.i. ha⁻¹ also was included. In both crops, pinoxaden at 30 g a.i. ha⁻¹ and at higher rates, fenoxaprop-p-ethyl and clodinafop-propargyl gave the best control of wild oat. In 2006/07 wheat crops, treatments applied at tiller initiation provided better control than the early timing averaged across herbicides. However, wheat yield generally was greater with early application. In barley, wild oat control and crop yield were similar regarding time of application. Variations in crop yield were correlated with grain number m⁻² both in wheat and barley, but relationships between both grain number and spikes m⁻² and with grains per spike were identified only in wheat.     

Field-based evaluation of vernalization requirement,photoperiod response and earliness per se in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Vernalization requirement, photoperiod response and earliness per se (EPS) of bread wheat cultivars are often determined using controlled environments. However, use of non-field conditions may reduce the applicability of results for predicting field performance as well as increase the cost of evaluations. This research was undertaken, therefore, to determine whether field experiments could replace controlled environment studies and provide accurate characterization of these three traits among winter wheat cultivars. Twenty-six cultivars were evaluated under field conditions using two natural photoperiod regimes (from different transplanting dates) and vernalization pre-treatments. Relative responses to vernalization (RRV_GDD) and photoperiod (RRP_GDD) were quantified using the reciprocal of thermal time to end of ear emergence, whereas earliness per se was estimated by calculating thermal time from seedling emergence until end of ear emergence for fully vernalized and lately planted material. An additional index based on final leaf numbers was also calculated to characterize response to vernalization (RRV_FLN). To test whether the obtained indices have predictive power, results were compared with cultivar parameters estimated for the CSM-Cropsim-CERES-Wheat model Version 4.0.2.0. For vernalization requirement, RRV_GDD was compared with the vernalization parameter P1V, for photoperiod (RRP_GDD), with P1D, and for earliness per se, EPS was compared with the sum of the component phase durations. Allowing for variation in EPS in the calibration improved the relation between observed versus simulated data substantially: correlations of RRP_GDD with P1D increased from r² = .34 (p < .01), to .82 (p < .001), and of RRV_GDD with P1V, from r² = .88 (p < .001), to .94 (p < .001). In comparisons of observed versus simulated anthesis dates for independent field experiments, the estimated model coefficients resulted in an r² of .98 (p < .001) and root mean square error of 1d. Overall, the results indicated that combining planting dates with vernalization pre-treatments can permit reliable, quantitative characterization of vernalization requirement, photoperiod response and EPS of wheat cultivars. Furthermore, emphasize the need for further study to clarify aspects that determine EPS, including whether measured EPS varies with temperature or other factors.     

Efficacy of entomopathogenic nematodes (Nemata: Rhabditida) to control Brazilian apple leafroller Bonagota salubricola (Meyrick, 1937) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

The Brazilian apple leafroller, Bonagota salubricola (Meyrick, 1937) (Bonagota cranaodes) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), is one of the main pest problems in apple orchards is Brazil. The purpose of this work was to evaluate B. salubricola larval and pupal susceptibility to different species of entomopathogenic nematodes, isolated in Rio Grande do Sul state in Brazil, under laboratory and field (apple orchard) conditions. Bioassays for isolates selection and determination of lethal concentration were performed in tubes of 1.5 ml (eppendorf), each containing one B. salubricola third instar larvae and filter paper. Field experiments were performed in commercial orchard, with application of 100 infecting juveniles (IJs)/cm² for each apple plant previously infected with five B. salubricola larvae covered with plastic trays containing thin cloth. Nematodes H. bacteriophora RS107 and H. bacteriophora RS57 had LC₅₀ of 13 and 4.5 IJs/larvae (4.3 and 1.5 IJs/cm²), respectively. In the field, H. bacteriophora RS107 and H. bacteriophora RS57, applied with sorbitol as an adjuvant, reached 70.2 and 61.1% larval mortality, respectively. The results showed that both isolates had biological activity against B. salubricola under laboratory and field conditions.     

Comparative overwintering host range of three Adelphocoris species (Hemiptera: Miridae) in northern China

In northern China, Adelphocoris suturalis, Adelphocoris lineolatus and Adelphocoris fasciaticollis (Hemiptera: Miridae) are common pests of cotton and several other crops. These species have vastly diverse geographic distribution, seasonal dynamics and abundance, the underlying causal factors of which are poorly understood. In this study, the importance of a broad range of plant species as overwintering hosts for each Adelphocoris sp. was compared. Nymphal emergence from a total of 126 plant species was monitored at two distinct locations. The eggs of A. suturalis successfully eclosed from un-plowed cotton field soil and 115 plant species, primarily pastures, weeds and agricultural crops. The eggs of A. lineolatus successfully eclosed from 40 plant species, mainly pastures and weeds. Finally, A. fasciaticollis overwintered on 35 plant species, primarily tree species, weeds and agricultural crops. In conclusion, the most common and widely distributed mirid species, A. suturalis, overwintered on a comparatively broader range of plants compared to the other two species. These observations help to understand the differences in geographical distribution and abundance of the three Adelphocoris species, and constitute the basis for forecasting and pest management protocols for Adelphocoris spp. in China.     

Ear structure and the resistance of cereals to aphids

In 1977 and 1978 in the field the cereal aphid Sitobion avenae F. (Hemiptera:Aphididae) was a pest on winter wheat (cv. Maris Huntsman), but was rare on winter barley (cv. Maris Otter). The results of laboratory experiments can only partly account for this observation. Alates showed no preference between leaves of wheat and barley, flag leaves of wheat and ears of barley, or ears of wheat and barley, the developmental stages available for colonization in the field. Developmental time, teneral weight, reproductive rate and offspring size of apterae were similar when reared on ears of wheat and barley. However, the proportion that developed into alatae and adult mortality were significantly higher on barley. That aphids fed on the rachis of wheat and the glumes of barley was attributed to differences in the ear structure of the two cereals. The possible role of plant structure in determining the resistance of cereals to aphids in the field is discussed.     

Development of simple and co-dominant PCR markers to genotype puroindoline a and b alleles for grain hardness in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Grain hardness is one of the most important quality characteristics of cultivated bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). A large deletion in the puroindoline a (Pina) gene or single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the puroindoline b (Pinb) gene results in hard grain texture. So far, nine Pina alleles (Pina-D1a–Pina-D1b, Pina-D1k–Pina-D1q) and seventeen Pinb alleles (Pinb-D1a–Pinb-D1g, Pinb-D1p–Pinb-D1ab) have been identified in bread wheat. The major Pina and Pinb alleles identified in hard wheat cultivars are Pina-D1b, Pinb-D1b, Pinb-D1c and Pinb-D1d. In this study, a three-primer PCR system was employed to develop nine co-dominant STS markers for genotyping Pina-D1a and Pina-D1b, whereas temperature-switch (TS) PCR was used to develop six co-dominant SNP markers for genotyping the Pinb-D1a, Pinb-D1b, Pinb-D1c and Pinb-D1d alleles. These STS and TS-PCR markers were used to verify the grain hardness genotype of 100 wheat cultivars. The reliability and genotyping accuracy of TS-PCR markers were confirmed through sequencing of PCR products and a comparison with previously published results. Therefore, STS and TS-PCR markers offer a simple, cost-effective and reliable method for high-throughput genotyping Pina and Pinb alleles to select grain hardness in wheat quality breeding programs and for wheat market classification.     

Effects of Fusarium culmorum and water stress on durum wheat in Tunisia

The effects of water stress on Fusarium foot and root rot in durum wheat were investigated in growth chamber, greenhouse and field tests in Tunisia. In the seedling stage, emergence of six durum wheat cultivars in the growth chamber was significantly reduced by inoculation with Fusarium culmorum and water stress (P<0.0001), with more disease under drier conditions. Additionally, the tiller number per mature plant, the 1000 grain weight and disease severity in mature stage were reduced by inoculation in greenhouse studies. In a field test, inoculation with F. culmorum significantly reduced the yield (P<0.001), by more than 17% for Om Rabiaa and 38% for Karim, the two cultivars tested. Yield was also significantly affected by precipitation and irrigation levels. The severity of the disease, estimated by the percentage of white heads, was separately affected by the cultivar (P<0.001) and inoculation (P = 0.0004). Percentage of white heads was 1.5 and 2 × higher in inoculated plants than non-inoculated for Om Rabiaa and Karim cultivars, respectively. Disease severity was highest in treatments with the greatest water stress. This is the first detailed study of water stress and F. culmorum on durum wheat in Tunisia, and indicates that cultivar resistance and irrigation management may be important in the management of Fusarium foot rot.