The accumulation of mycotoxins in plants and plant products is one of the most important consequences of plant diseases, especially those caused by species of Fusarium, Aspergillus and Penicillium. It has been estimated that 25 per cent of world food crops, including many basic food crops, are affected by mycotoxins. The toxins are responsible for various toxicities in animals and humans, including carcinogenic and teratogenic effects, and digestive, blood and nerve disorders. There is thus an urgent need to understand the nature of the toxigenic fungi that are widespread on economically important plant products and the role of these toxic secondary metabolites in the development of disease, that is as virulence or pathogenicity factors, in order to minimize the accumulation of these products in a range of food products. This volume has gathered together specialist reports compiled through EU-COST Action 835: Agriculturally Important Toxigenic Fungi. The contents should be of interest to scientists involved in the occurrence and nature of mycotoxins, their importance in the development of disease and the molecular nature of plant-pathogen interactions.The information will also be useful to those responsible for determining the levels of mycotoxins in human and animal food and deciding upon regulatory limitations on the levels of mycotoxins in agricultural products.

Toxigenic Fusarium species and ochratoxigenic fungi are responsible for plant diseases which have important effects on both human and animal health. The development of rapid, robust and sensitive detection methods based on molecular technologies is needed to identify fungal contamination in the field and quantify toxin accumulation in food products. Most of the contributions are from results obtained through the EU 5th Framework project (QLK1-1999-01380) "DETOX-FUNGI: early detection of toxigenic Fusarium species and ochratoxigenic fungi in plant products". Valuable contributions from other scientists have guaranteed a complete overview of increasingly important topic. The present issue contains contributions which cover many aspects of the molecular diversity, phylogeny, variability and PCR-detection of toxigenic fungi and their toxins. Notable amongst these are a review of the phylogeny and diagnosis of Fusarium species and a new system for identifying Fusarium species based on a DNA sequence database. Other papers describe the diversity and analysis of ochratoxigenic Aspergilli and Penicillia.This information will greatly aid those concerned with the early detection of these fungi and their mycotoxins, information which is so essential for overcoming the health risks associated with mycotoxin-contaminated food products.

Toxigenic Fusarium species and ochratoxigenic fungi are responsible for plant diseases which have important effects on both human and animal health. The development of rapid, robust and sensitive detection methods based on molecular technologies is needed to identify fungal contamination in the field and quantify toxin accumulation in food products. Most of the contributions are from results obtained through the EU 5th Framework project (QLK1-1999-01380) "DETOX-FUNGI: early detection of toxigenic Fusarium species and ochratoxigenic fungi in plant products". Valuable contributions from other scientists have guaranteed a complete overview of increasingly important topic. The present issue contains contributions which cover many aspects of the molecular diversity, phylogeny, variability and PCR-detection of toxigenic fungi and their toxins. Notable amongst these are a review of the phylogeny and diagnosis of Fusarium species and a new system for identifying Fusarium species based on a DNA sequence database. Other papers describe the diversity and analysis of ochratoxigenic Aspergilli and Penicillia.This information will greatly aid those concerned with the early detection of these fungi and their mycotoxins, information which is so essential for overcoming the health risks associated with mycotoxin-contaminated food products.

Toxigenic Fusarium species and ochratoxigenic fungi are responsible for various plant diseases which have important consequential effects on both human and animal health worldwide. The development of rapid, robust and sensitive detection methods based on new molecular technologies is urgently needed in order to identify fungal contamination in the field and quantify toxin accumulation in food and animal feed. Most of the contributions in this special issue are from results obtained through the EU 5th Framework project (QLKI-CT-1998-01380) "DETOX-FUNGI: early detection of toxigenic Fusarium species and ochratoxi­ genic fungi in plant products", which has strongly stimulated interaction and co-operation between many European scientists. Valuable contributions from other scientists have guaranteed a complete overview of this stimulating and interesting topic. This is the third special issue published in the European Journal of Plant Pathology concerning my­ cotoxigenic fungi under the aegis of COST Action 835 'Agriculturally Important Toxigenic Fungi'. The first two dealt with 'Mycotoxins in Plant Disease' (Vol. 108(7) 2002) and 'Epidemiology of Mycotoxin Pro­ ducing Fungi' (Vol. 109(7) 2003). The present issue contains contributions which cover aspects of molecular diversity, phylogeny and PCR-detection of toxigenic Fusarium species and various ochratoxigenic fungi. We hope these will prove helpful to researchers involved in similar work and will stimulate the future studies required for the early detection of these fungi, which is so essential for overcoming the health risks associated with mycotoxin-contaminated food products.

There is an urgent need to expand our knowledge of both the nature of the toxigenic fungi that are widespread on economically-important plants and the effect of their toxic secondary metabolites on human health. Informa­ tion about the production of mycotoxins by plant pathogens, particularly by species of Fusarium, Aspergillus and Penicillium, their occurrence in infected plants, as well as their role in the plant-pathogen interaction, for example as virulence/pathogenicity factors, is a pre-requisite for preventing plant disease and hence for reducing the Ievels of mycotoxin contamination. Fusarium infections in cereals and other crops are a particular problern world-wide and recent epidemics on wheat in Europe, the USA and Canada have again focused attention on this problem. Fur­ thermore, species ofAspergillus and Penicillium and their related mycotoxins, particularly Ochratoxin A, represent another consistent problern on cereals and grapes, especially in Europe where 40% of the global grape crop is grown. The aim of this publication is to gather together specialist updated reviews based on papers originally presented during a Workshop of EU Cost Action 835 entitled ''Agriculturally Important Taxigenie Fungi'', held in Rome, 7-8 October 1999 at the Plant Pathology Research Institute. We hope the diversity of the contents will stimulate discussion, encourage the sharing of information and result in cross-fertilization of ideas needed for the solution of the present problems. This special issue will be of particular value to interdisciplinary scientists and especially mycologists, mycotoxicologists, plant pathologists and those concerned about the quality of food and food products.

The accumulation of mycotoxins in plants and plant products is one of the most important consequences of plant diseases, especially those caused by species of Fusarium, Aspergillus and Penicillium. It has been estimated that 25 per cent of world food crops, including many basic food crops, are affected by mycotoxins. The toxins are responsible for various toxicities in animals and humans, including carcinogenic and teratogenic effects, and digestive, blood and nerve disorders. There is thus an urgent need to understand the nature of the toxigenic fungi that are widespread on economically important plant products and the role of these toxic secondary metabolites in the development of disease, that is as virulence or pathogenicity factors, in order to minimize the accumulation of these products in a range of food products. This volume has gathered together specialist reports compiled through EU-COST Action 835: Agriculturally Important Toxigenic Fungi. The contents should be of interest to scientists involved in the occurrence and nature of mycotoxins, their importance in the development of disease and the molecular nature of plant-pathogen interactions.The information will also be useful to those responsible for determining the levels of mycotoxins in human and animal food and deciding upon regulatory limitations on the levels of mycotoxins in agricultural products.

Toxigenic Fusarium species and ochratoxigenic fungi are responsible for plant diseases which have important effects on both human and animal health. The development of rapid, robust and sensitive detection methods based on molecular technologies is needed to identify fungal contamination in the field and quantify toxin accumulation in food products. Most of the contributions are from results obtained through the EU 5th Framework project (QLK1-1999-01380) "DETOX-FUNGI: early detection of toxigenic Fusarium species and ochratoxigenic fungi in plant products". Valuable contributions from other scientists have guaranteed a complete overview of increasingly important topic. The present issue contains contributions which cover many aspects of the molecular diversity, phylogeny, variability and PCR-detection of toxigenic fungi and their toxins. Notable amongst these are a review of the phylogeny and diagnosis of Fusarium species and a new system for identifying Fusarium species based on a DNA sequence database. Other papers describe the diversity and analysis of ochratoxigenic Aspergilli and Penicillia.This information will greatly aid those concerned with the early detection of these fungi and their mycotoxins, information which is so essential for overcoming the health risks associated with mycotoxin-contaminated food products.

Toxigenic Fusarium species and ochratoxigenic fungi are responsible for plant diseases which have important effects on both human and animal health. The development of rapid, robust and sensitive detection methods based on molecular technologies is needed to identify fungal contamination in the field and quantify toxin accumulation in food products. Most of the contributions are from results obtained through the EU 5th Framework project (QLK1-1999-01380) "DETOX-FUNGI: early detection of toxigenic Fusarium species and ochratoxigenic fungi in plant products". Valuable contributions from other scientists have guaranteed a complete overview of increasingly important topic. The present issue contains contributions which cover many aspects of the molecular diversity, phylogeny, variability and PCR-detection of toxigenic fungi and their toxins. Notable amongst these are a review of the phylogeny and diagnosis of Fusarium species and a new system for identifying Fusarium species based on a DNA sequence database. Other papers describe the diversity and analysis of ochratoxigenic Aspergilli and Penicillia.This information will greatly aid those concerned with the early detection of these fungi and their mycotoxins, information which is so essential for overcoming the health risks associated with mycotoxin-contaminated food products.

Toxigenic Fusarium species and ochratoxigenic fungi are responsible for various plant diseases which have important consequential effects on both human and animal health worldwide. The development of rapid, robust and sensitive detection methods based on new molecular technologies is urgently needed in order to identify fungal contamination in the field and quantify toxin accumulation in food and animal feed. Most of the contributions in this special issue are from results obtained through the EU 5th Framework project (QLKI-CT-1998-01380) "DETOX-FUNGI: early detection of toxigenic Fusarium species and ochratoxi­ genic fungi in plant products", which has strongly stimulated interaction and co-operation between many European scientists. Valuable contributions from other scientists have guaranteed a complete overview of this stimulating and interesting topic. This is the third special issue published in the European Journal of Plant Pathology concerning my­ cotoxigenic fungi under the aegis of COST Action 835 'Agriculturally Important Toxigenic Fungi'. The first two dealt with 'Mycotoxins in Plant Disease' (Vol. 108(7) 2002) and 'Epidemiology of Mycotoxin Pro­ ducing Fungi' (Vol. 109(7) 2003). The present issue contains contributions which cover aspects of molecular diversity, phylogeny and PCR-detection of toxigenic Fusarium species and various ochratoxigenic fungi. We hope these will prove helpful to researchers involved in similar work and will stimulate the future studies required for the early detection of these fungi, which is so essential for overcoming the health risks associated with mycotoxin-contaminated food products.

There is an urgent need to expand our knowledge of both the nature of the toxigenic fungi that are widespread on economically-important plants and the effect of their toxic secondary metabolites on human health. Informa­ tion about the production of mycotoxins by plant pathogens, particularly by species of Fusarium, Aspergillus and Penicillium, their occurrence in infected plants, as well as their role in the plant-pathogen interaction, for example as virulence/pathogenicity factors, is a pre-requisite for preventing plant disease and hence for reducing the Ievels of mycotoxin contamination. Fusarium infections in cereals and other crops are a particular problern world-wide and recent epidemics on wheat in Europe, the USA and Canada have again focused attention on this problem. Fur­ thermore, species ofAspergillus and Penicillium and their related mycotoxins, particularly Ochratoxin A, represent another consistent problern on cereals and grapes, especially in Europe where 40% of the global grape crop is grown. The aim of this publication is to gather together specialist updated reviews based on papers originally presented during a Workshop of EU Cost Action 835 entitled ''Agriculturally Important Taxigenie Fungi'', held in Rome, 7-8 October 1999 at the Plant Pathology Research Institute. We hope the diversity of the contents will stimulate discussion, encourage the sharing of information and result in cross-fertilization of ideas needed for the solution of the present problems. This special issue will be of particular value to interdisciplinary scientists and especially mycologists, mycotoxicologists, plant pathologists and those concerned about the quality of food and food products.