By Olanrewaju Shittu, 2023-2026 FFAR Fellow
at Pennsylvania State University
When people think about the challenges of growing wheat, they often imagine weather, weeds or perhaps even pests. However, for wheat growers in Pennsylvania, one of the most persistent and economically damaging threats is something far less visible at first glance: Fusarium Head Blight (FHB). This fungal disease can devastate yields and contaminate grain with toxic substances.
Fusarium Head Blight, sometimes known as “scab,” is more than just a plant disease. It is a food safety issue, an economic burden and a management challenge, especially for farmers already navigating tight margins. My research as a FFAR Fellow at Penn State University aims to address this problem not in a lab, but on farms, in partnership with the people most affected by it.
Continue reading at the FFAR Blog.