Amedeo Reyneri

Università degli Studi di Torino | UNITO · Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences

The biogas supply chain requires a correct combination of crops to maximize the methane yield per hectare. Field trials were carried out in North Italy over three growing seasons, according to a factorial combination of four cropping systems (maize as a sole-crop or after hybrid barley, triticale and wheat) and two maize plant densities (standard,...

Maize is considered one of the most susceptible crops to mycotoxin-producing fungi throughout the world, mainly belonging to the Fusarium spp. and Aspergillus spp. Maize is mainly used as animal feeds in Italy, as well as for human consumption, being essential for all the protected designation of origin (DOP) products. Our study investigated the oc...

The fungal ear rot of maize cultivated in temperate areas is mainly due to the Fusarium species. The use of insecticides against European Corn Borer (ECB) reduces the severity of fungal ear rot as well as the fumonisin (FB) and moniliformin (MON) levels in maize kernels at harvest, which in turn results in a lowering of their effect on deoxynivalen...

Maize grain yields and profitability are enhanced in temperate growing areas as a result of an early sowing. However, cool conditions may constrain the uptake of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) by the root system during the early and more susceptible growth stages. The application of starter fertilizers near the plant roots could ensure better N an...

The European Food Safety Authority is currently evaluating the risks related to the presence of emerging mycotoxins in food and feeds. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of soil fertility, resulting from different nitrogen fertilization rates, on the contamination of regulated mycotoxins and emerging fungal metabolites in maize grain...

Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) is the main devastating disease of wheat worldwide. Most of the studies are addressed to control the main fungal agent F. graminearum. However, the FHB species composition is wider and influenced by meteorological and agronomic factors, depending on geographical region and, more recently, subjected to the ongoing climate...

The increasing demand for healthy baked goods boosted studies on sourdough microbiota with beneficial metabolic traits, to be used as potential functional starters. Here, 139 yeasts isolated from cereal-based fermented foods were in vitro characterized for their phytase and antioxidant activities. The molecular characterization at strain level of t...

The western corn rootworm (WCR), Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is one of the most severe pests of cultivated maize, Zea mays L. Most of the damage to this crop is caused by larvae feeding on the root system, causing important economic costs in terms of yield losses and management efforts. This research was carr...

Fusarium spp. are key pathogens in maize seeds and seedlings. The aim of this study has been to evaluate the effects of applying fungicides to maize seeds to increase the survival of seedlings and to enhance the early vigor and grain yield of the plants. The protective effects of 2-way (fludioxonil, metalaxil-M) and four-way (fludioxonil, metalaxil...

The impact of fertilisation strategies on bread-making quality of wheat has been investigated extensively, while only few studies have been carried out on minor supply-chains, such as the biscuit production chain, whose products require a low protein content (< 10.5 %) and weak gluten strength (< 110 J 10⁻⁴). The aim of this work was to obtain insi...

The rise in high protein common wheat in humid Mediterranean areas has determined a need to compare specific and effective nitrogen (N) fertilisation protocols in order to increase their end-use value. The aim of the work was to assess the impact of late-season N fertilisation strategies on grain yield and protein content (GPC), gluten fraction com...

Moniliformin is a widespread emerging mycotoxin. Despite all the data so far present in the scientific literature there is a lack of information on the fate of MON during the maize milling. Thus, in order to collect new occurrence data on the fate of the MON in maize food products, also in relation to the FBs, 4 maize lots have been processed throu...

Hexaploid tritordeum is the amphidiploid cereal derived from the cross between wild barley and durum wheat. The present study compares two cultivars of tritordeum with other cereals grown in the same experimental area to weigh up its potential use as ingredient for health-valued foods. Tritordeum shows 2.5-fold higher concentration of lutein than c...

Cereals can be contaminated by several mycotoxins, whose co-presence may represent an undervalued risk for humans and animals. Maize and wheat are the most contaminated cereals and in temperate areas could be affected in field conditions by several Fusarium and Aspergillus infections. To date, only B-fumonisins (FBs), aflatoxins (AFs), zearalenone...

The research investigated ways to enhance maize yield in intensive maize cropping system by evaluating the effect of high planting densities combined with foliar fungicide treatments. The considered assessments were fungal leaf disease, biomass and grain yield and methane production through anaerobic fermentation. The experiment was conducted in t...

Mycotoxins and other fungal metabolites represent the most insidious safety risks to cereal food and the feed chain. Optimising agronomic practices is one of the main strategies adopted to minimise the contents of these undesirable substances in grain-based commodities. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the combination of sowin...

In this study, the chemical composition of pigmented wheats (yellow, purple and blue types), and the distribution of the bioactive compounds in their roller-milled and pearled fractions, were compared with conventional wheats (red and white types). Roller-milling promoted the recovery of total dietary fiber, β-glucans, phenolic acids and anthocyani...

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is the most prevalent mycotoxin in small cereal crops throughout the world, and its occurrence is closely linked to the presence of Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) disease.

ABSTRACT The Italian legal framework for the agricultural sector has recently introduced a new form of contract, the “network contract”. The aim of this study is to verify if the use of this new contract would be appropriate to facilitate the adoption and diffusion of sustainable innovation of an Italian agri-food chain and to strengthen the agricu...

The western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) (WCR), is one of the most damaging maize crop pests. Damage to maize is primarily caused by the larvae feeding on roots, which results in a reduction of water and nutrient uptake and may cause lodging as well as a substantial reduction in grain yield. The...

Corn grain production could be affected by several fungal pathogens responsible for the production of mycotoxins. The aims of this study were to determine the evolution of phenolic acids and total antioxidant activity (TAA) during kernel development and to evaluate their potential protective role in minimizing mycotoxin contamination in 6 corn geno...

Owing to the rising energy demand and the conflict between food, feed and energy crops for agricultural land, there is a growing need for alternative biomasses for energy purposes. New developments in harvesting technology have created the possibility of harvesting cobs as a by-product of maize grain harvesting. The aim of the present work has been...

Maize germ is a by-product of the maize milling process that is characterised by a high nutritional value. Currently, heat treatments are employed to prevent full-fat maize germ from spoilage. The aim of this research was to study the effect of five dry-heat treatments on the nutritional value of full-fat maize germ. The results confirmed that afte...

The increasing demand for a high and homogeneous technological quality of common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) points out the necessity of improving wheat with by a higher protein (GPC) and gluten content, strength of dough (W) and dough stability. Among the current crop practices, late-season nitrogen (N) fertilization, from heading to flowering, i...

The aim of this work was to investigate the content and the composition of alkylresorcinols (ARs) in different wheat and barley cultivars, and in fractions obtained by progressive pearling. Three commercial winter wheats, characterized by different hardness and technological quality, and three barleys, including hulled and hull-less types, were sel...

Increasing the maize plant population has undergone a constant evolution over the years, with the purpose of enhancing the crop yield. Field trials, in which 2 different experiments were considered, have been conducted in NW Italy in order to analyze the yield benefit of high plant density on recent hybrids, considering both intra-row and inter-row...

Durum wheat in temperate regions can lead to yields with higher technological quality and stability compared to Mediterranean areas. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of nitrogen (N fertilization on grain yield and quality, in different pedo-climatic conditions of temperate areas. Field experiments were conducted in two sites (sand...

The pre-harvest damage of wheat by sunn pests decreases flour quality. Mixolab® is a recent instrument that can be used to accurately describe the technological behaviour of flour dough, since it is able to evaluate both protein and starch components at the same time. Two-year field experiments were carried out to study the effect of Eurygaster mau...

A low grain protein content (GPC) and flour strength (W) are desirable traits for wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) for biscuit production. Nitrogen fertilization is the main factor that affects storage proteins. the aim of this study was to compare the effect of different commonly applied N fertilization strategies on the quality requirements of common...

The use of pearled barley fractions as functional ingredient in bread-making has been studied. Two hulled varieties were sequentially pearled for 1 to 8 cycles, each with 5% removal, and analyzed for their bioactive compound content. The dietary fibre (DF) decreased from the external to the internal layers, while β-glucans showed an inverse trend....

The dry-milling industry is becoming an interesting distribution channel for maize (Zea mays L.) growers. Since kernels with high hardness are more suitable for the dry-milling process, it is important to investigate new ways of improving for this qualitative parameter. The aim of the research was to evaluate when a fungicide containing a demethyla...

Breads enriched with hull-less barley (HLB) have been characterized. An HLB cultivar was sequentially pearled, and the fractions were analyzed for their bioactive components. Ash, proteins, dietary fibre (DF) and total antioxidant activity (TAA) decreased from the external to the internal layers, while β-glucans showed an inverse trend. Two functio...

Azole fungicides have been reported to be the most effective active substances in the control of Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) and in the reduction of the main mycotoxins that occur in cereal grain, such as deoxynivalenol (DON). A series of field experiments has been conducted in North West Italy, over a period of 2 growing seasons, in order to evalua...

Background Wholegrain cereals are an important source of folates. In this study, total folate was analyzed in pearled fractions of barley and wheat cultivars employing the AOAC Official Method 2004.05. In particular, the distribution of folate in the kernels was evaluated in three barley cultivars (two hulled types and a hulless one as well as two-...

The foliar nitrogen (N) application at low rate is a strategy that could be applied by farmers in substitution to the traditional late soil application in when there are restrictions on N distribution.The aim of this study was to compare the effect of late-season N fertilization strategies on wheat quality. Field experiments were set up in two diff...

Foliar fungicides are widely used to control pests on several crops and, from mid-2000s, have become more common on maize. The yield advantages derived from foliar fungicides on maize, as for other crops, could be related not only to the direct control of the disease, but also to physiological effects on the plant. The aim of the research was to ev...

An agronomic improvement in grain yield and quality in winter wheat could be obtained through the application of strategies, such as application of foliar fungicides or fertilizers, that protect health of the last leaves and delay the senescence process during ripening. Only a few studies have reported the effect of these practices on barley, altho...

European corn borer (ECB) plays a important role in promoting Fusarium verticillioides infections and in the consequent fumonisin contamination in maize grain in temperate areas. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether the ECB feeding activity could also affect the occurrence of emerging mycotoxins in maize kernels. During the 2008-2010...

Sunn pests are responsible for serious kernel damage on wheat (Triticum aestivum L., Poaceae), affecting bread-making quality from their feeding at the late milk-ripe stage. In this study the toxicity of three pyrethroids usually applied to this crop (λ-cyhalothrin, α-cypermethrin, τ-fluvalinate) was evaluated on two bug species, the wheat bug Eury...

A strategy to maximise the health benefits of wheat-based products enriched with refined flour and selected fractions of kernel, obtained by sequential pearling, has been tested. Five mixtures of refined commercial flour with an increasing replacement of a pearled wheat fraction were used to prepare bread and were compared with a control for the do...

This study reports an investigation on the ability of organically modified clays to bind mycotoxins, fumonisins B1 (FB1) and B2 (FB2). Organically modified clays are commercia materials prepared from natural clays, generally montmorillonite, by exchanging the inorganic cation with an ammonium organic cation. A screening experiment conducted on 13 o...

A fast clean-up method has been developed to purify maize extracts and to detect moniliformin (MON) in maize samples from North-West Italy over a four-year period (2008-2011). The method is based on the use of MycoSep® 240 Mon clean-up columns (Romer Labs(®)). Samples were extracted using acetonitrile/water (84:16, v/v), and the extracts were purif...

Background: The hardness of kernels determines the dry-milling processing performance of maize hybrids. The identification of the best maize hybrids for the dry-milling process requires a limited number of simple, practical and reliable tests that are able to predict the potential grit yield. Results: A total of 119 samples from different geneti...

Wheat kernels are naturally rich in antioxidant compounds, that are mainly present in the outer bran layers and which are removed during milling. Unfortunately, several contaminants are concentrated in the external layers. The pearling process, which progressively and carefully debrans the outer layers of wheat, could provide new functional food in...

The use of foliar fungicides on field maize has increased greatly over the past ten years. There has also been an increasing interest in foliar fungicide applications on maize, because quinone outside inhibitor (QoI) fungicides, in addition to providing disease control, have been shown to induce physiological benefits for plants in studies conducte...

Fusarium Head Blight (FHB), also known as scab, is a devastating disease of enormous economic importance throughout the world that attacks all classes of barley and wheat. Every year, all of the most important cereal producers in the world are affected by this disease. Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium culmorum are considered the most pathogenic an...

Fusarium head blight (FHB) disease and deoxynivalenol (DON) contamination of wheat grains depend on multiple factors, above all climatic conditions, but also agronomic factors such as crop rotation, debris management, variety susceptibility and fungicide applications. Although it is generally believed that multiple strategies are more successful th...

A series of field experiments has been conducted in North West Italy over a period of 3 years to evaluate the effect of fungicide applications on common wheat yield and safety, combined with different agronomic conditions (high: a susceptible variety to FHB planted in an untilled field; low: a medium tolerant variety to FHB planted in a ploughed fi...

The level of resistance in commercial hybrids for Fusarium ear rot is still not in general adequate to prevent unacceptable toxin concentrations in field. The purpose of this experiment was to verify the behaviour of commercial dent maize hybrids for fumonisin and zearalenone contamination and to identify the variety traits that influence the produ...

Fusarium head blight (FHB) of small grain cereals is a worldwide disease that reduces yield and causes deoxynivalenol (DON) contamination in grains. Non-decomposed residues from the previous crop present on the soil surface are considered the principal inoculum sources for Fusarium graminearum and F. culmorum, the most important Fusarium species. t...

Numerous foods are produced from maize, and grain hardness has been described to have an impact on grain end-use value, and in particular for dry-milling performance. Thirty-three samples of commercial hybrids have been analysed for test weight (TW), thousand-kernel weight (TKW), hard:soft endosperm ratio (H/S), milling time (MT) and total milling...

Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner) (European corn borer) is the main maize pest in Central and South Europe and it promotes Fusarium verticillioides infection on maize grains, which is able to produce fumonisins. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of the timing of pyrethroid treatments on European corn borer damage, fungal ear rot and...

Kernel moisture is a good indicator of kernel development during maturation but this parameter does not consider the relationships that water molecules estab-lishes with the structure of grains which determine the wa-ter actually available to microbial development. The water activity (a w) parameter is a measure of the availability of water in a su...

Since the production of durum wheat in the drier areas of the Mediterranean Basin is characterized by high variability in terms of yield and grain quality, there is also considerable interest in developing durum wheat in the northern regions, where the pedo-climatic conditions can offer the possibility of obtaining grain yields with higher technolo...

Mycotoxins in cereals are an economic and health problem. They are mainly produced in the field and are influenced by environmental conditions during ripening and by agricultural practices. The aim of this research was to evaluate the effect of combined agronomic techniques on fumonisins and deoxynivalenol contamination in maize kernels. Six experi...

Fumonisins constitute a group of carcinogenic metabolites produced mainly by Fusarium verticillioides, the most common fungi associated with maize grain. The limits fixed for fumonisins in maize for food and feed by the European Union (EU) could represent a serious problem for maize areas in the south of Europe where F. verticillioides encounters e...

The European corn borer (ECB), Ostrinia nubilalis, is the principal pest of maize in Central and South Europe. It is known to promote Fusarium verticillioides infection in maize grain, a recognized producer of fumonisins. Field experiments were performed in 2006 and 2007 in two sites in NW Italy to determine the effects of the timing of insecticide...

Fusarium Head Blight (FHB), also known as scab, is a devastating disease of enormous economic importance throughout the world that attacks all classes of barley and wheat. Every year, all of the most important cereal producers in the world are affected by this disease. Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium culmorum are considered the most pathogenic an...

In this study, field experiments have been conducted over three growing seasons to evaluate the effect of fungicides (triazoles and strobilurins) and a foliar fertilizer application to winter wheat at anthesis on flag leaf senescence, grain yield, bread-making quality, Fusarium head blight (FHB) disease and deoxynivalenol (DON) contamination.Flag l...

Fusarium verticillioides is a common maize pathogen which causes diseases on ears and synthesis of the mycotoxins, fumonisins, in kernels. Fumonisin production is influenced by both environmental conditions and agricultural inputs during growth and maturation of the maize plant. The aim of this research was to evaluate the effect of crop management...

The aim of this research was to evaluate how the amount of fumonisins in a kernel is re-distributed over the different processing products. The study focused on the description of the dry-milling process, with details on the products and by-products, milling yield, and the granulometric and chemical composition. Maize kernels and four derived milli...

Fumonisin contamination of maize grain starts in the field. Forecasting Fusarium infection and fumonisin synthesis could allow operators in the field to control contamination during the growing season and to make the best agronomic decisions for high quality yields while respecting the limits imposed by the European Union.A research project to deve...

European corn borer (ECB) is the main maize pest in central and southern Europe and it promotes the infection of maize with Fusarium verticillioides, which is able to produce fumonisins. Field experiments were performed from 2006 to 2007 in northwestern Italy to determine the effects of the timing of insecticide applications on maize fungal ear rot...

Mycotoxins contamination in maize grain is a serious problem for human and animal health with economical effect on cereals chain. Mycotoxin production begins mainly in the field and is influenced by environmental and climatic conditions during ripening and by cultural techniques. The principal mycotoxins that contaminate maize-based foods and feeds...

Fusarium verticillioides, a known producer of fumonisins, has been reported to be the most common pathogen of maize causing Fusarium ear rot and grain fumonisin contamination. Field tests were carried out in 2004 and 2005 growing seasons in two sites located in the North of Italy to determine the effects of sowing date and insecticide treatment aga...

European corn borer (ECB), Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner), is the main maize pest in Central and Southern Europe and promotes the infection of maize with Fusarium spp., which produce mycotoxins. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of insecticide treatments on ECB damage, Fusarium infection and mycotoxin contamination. The field exp...

Field experiments were set up from 2000 to 2002 in northwest Italy to determine the effects of sowing date on the susceptibility of maize hybrids to ear rot and mycotoxin contamination in natural infection conditions. Three sowing dates (March, April and May) were compared using two hybrids with different maturity classes. The ears were rated for t...

Field experiments were set up from 2001 to 2004 in North West Italy to determine the effects of plant density on the susceptibility of medium and medium-late maturity maize hybrids to ear rot and to mycotoxin contamination in natural infection conditions. The ears were rated for the incidence and severity of disease symptoms at harvest and the harv...

Fusarium head blight (FHB) of small grains is a worldwide spread disease that reduces yield, causes mycotoxin production in grain and reduces seed quality. Previous crop residues such as maize stalks and grain, and straw of barley, wheat, and other cereals are considered the principal inoculum sources for Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium culmorum,...

Two experiments were set up from 2000 to 2004 in North West Italy to determine the effects of the type (urea and a slow-release fertilizer) and the application rate of nitrogen (N) fertilizer (0, 100, 200, 300 or 400 kg ha-1) on the susceptibility of maize hybrids to ear rot and to mycotoxin contamination in natural infection conditions. The ears w...