Hemp vs. Wheat: The Fungal Frenemy

Hemp and wheat are both crops that are susceptible to a nasty fungus called Fusarium graminearum. This fungus causes a disease known as Fusarium head blight (FHB). FHB is a big problem in the US, especially for hemp farmers. It's been spotted in most places where hemp is grown. The disease can ruin both the flowers and the seeds of the hemp plant. The fungus has been a problem for wheat farmers for a long time. Since hemp and wheat are often grown in similar ways, there's a good chance that hemp fields will be rotated with wheat fields. This could lead to a bigger problem with the fungus. Scientists wondered if the fungus that infects hemp might be different from the one that infects wheat. They thought this because hemp hasn't been grown in the US for nearly 50 years. During that time, the fungus might have evolved differently in hemp and wheat fields. To find out, they compared 12 samples of the fungus from both hemp and wheat fields in Kentucky. They looked at how fast the fungus grew, how much it reproduced, how well it responded to fungicides, and how well it infected both hemp and wheat. They also checked how much of a toxin called DON the fungus produced.

The results were surprising. The fungus samples from hemp and wheat were pretty much the same in all the tests. But there was one interesting thing: the fungus tended to be a bit more aggressive on the plant it came from. This means that the fungus from hemp was slightly better at infecting hemp, and the fungus from wheat was slightly better at infecting wheat. This is a big deal because it means the fungus can easily jump from hemp to wheat and vice versa. This could make it harder to control FHB in both crops. Farmers will need to be extra careful to manage this disease in their fields. The fungus can also produce a toxin called DON, which can make both hemp and wheat unsafe to eat. This is another reason why controlling FHB is so important. The study shows that farmers need to be aware of the potential for FHB to spread between hemp and wheat. They should take steps to prevent the disease from getting out of control. This could include using fungicides, rotating crops carefully, and keeping an eye out for symptoms of the disease.

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