Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) is one of the most important wheat (Triticum aestivum) diseases worldwide. Severe epidemics have been recently reported in various countries, causing great losses in yield and grain quality. In Brazil, FHB emerged in the last decade as a disease of great concern, mainly in the Southern region. The sporadic nature of the epidcmics is related to strong weather dependence. Epidemic levels are observed in years with a high frequency of rain occurring from flowering to grain filling developmental stages. Most wheat varieties are susceptible and few show acceptable genetic resistance. Fungicides applied at flowering, sometimes, can help in preventing economic losses but their efficacy is dependent on application timing and technology for a good spike covering. A better understanding of the many factors influencing disease occurrence and development is needed for better disease management to minimize risks. Studies on the aerobiology, importance of spore types and spatial and temporal patterns of the disease may contribute to develop hypotheses regarding the association and importance of local versus distant inoculum sources. Recently, the development of FHB risk models has been considered by many to be an important tool that should be integrated into disease management. Such models could help in basing decisions for timely fungicide sprays or for predicting fungi incidence or mycotoxin accumulation in harvested grains.
