MIMYCS: A framework for simulating maize kernels mycotoxin contamination in Europe.
Mycotoxins are toxic compounds, produced by fungi and recognized as the main cause of chronic intoxications in the world. Maize is one of the crops subjected to the most critical mycotoxin problems throughout the world. Mycotoxin contamination in maize grain is the result of a complex plant pathosystem composed of maize plants, toxigenic fungi and insect borers. Warming of the climate system could have an important impact on the system, leading to mycotoxin contamination in grain maize and the potential effects are very difficult to foresee. The project MIMYCS has aimed at the development of a simulation model system to simulate at EU scale mycotoxin contamination in maize grain in different climatic, environmental and agro-management situations. The MIMYCS model system has been developed as composed by three main model components: i) MIMYCS.Maize, which integrates the crop model CropSyst and simulates maize phenological development and moisture in kernels during their development and maturation, ii) MIMYCS.Borers simulating two maize borers (Ostrinia nubilalis and Sesamia nonagrioides) phenological development and their damage to the ear, enhancing fungi growth and development, iii) MIMYCS.Fungi simulating fungi development and their interactions, using information received from Maize and the Borers modules. Finally, the MIMYCS simulation system, can quantify the risk of mycotoxin (aflatoxins, fumonisins, deoxynivalenol) contamination in maize grain. As a first application, MIMYCS has been used to predict and evaluate the effect of climate change on maize grain mycotoxin contamination in Europe. Future applications of MIMYCS will include its use as a decision support system to manage mycotoxin contamination during the field phase.
During the development of the project training activity have included: i) process-based modelling and biophysical model framework development, ii) basic concepts of insect pest population dynamics modelling iii) object-oriented and component-oriented programming with C#, iv) writing of scientific papers, v) project management, vi) agrometeorological analysis and crop forecast, vii) writing of project proposals
MAIORANO Andrea;
2013-01-30
Publications Office of the European Union
JRC78085
978-92-79-28280-5,
1831-9424,
EUR 25782,
OP LB-NA-25782-EN-N,
https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC78085,
10.2788/81279,
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