Mechanisms Used by Plants for Defence against Fungal Pathogens

Abstract

The infection of small-grain cereals by fungal pathogens reduces the yield and quality and can also affect human health due to mycotoxin production. Growing of plant varieties that resist fungal pathogens or that can metabolise the mycotoxins is a possible way of preventing the damage. This review describes general mechanisms of plant defence against fungal pathogens, with a focus on barley and Fusarium fungi that produce the mycotoxin deoxy­nivalenol.