Abstract
Hokkaido is the highest wheat production region in Japan. Fusarium head blight (FHB) has been common in the region, and occasionally damages production. In 2002, the Japanese government set a provisional regulatory limit for the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) that is produced by FHB in wheat. Since then, FHB has become the most important disease in wheat production in Hokkaido. A serious effort has been made to prevent DON contamination in wheat in order to assure food safety. This report reviews the current status of FHB in wheat, and effective methods that have been identified for reducing FHB and DON levels in Hokkaido. In addition, we present some recent findings about DON contamination in normal looking kernels, and risks for nivalenol contamination in wheat.
