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                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research: Peoria, IL
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ARS Home Midwest Area Peoria, Illinois National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research People





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Joseph  Opoku    Research Plant Pathologist /ARSUserFiles/50100525/Joseph Opoku.png
 Phone: (309) 681-6383Fax: (309) 681-6672Room 1123USDA ARS NCAUR1815 N University St.Peoria IL 61604
 Dr. Joseph Opoku obtained his BSc. in Agriculture Science from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana, and an MPhil in Crop Science from the University of Ghana. He received his Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech). His Ph.D. research centered on how interactions of stink bugs and *Fusarium* affect mycotoxin contamination in corn. He is the current vice-chair of the mycotoxicology committee of the American Phytopathological Society. He worked as a post-doc at the USDA Aflatoxin Biocontrol Lab in Tucson, AZ, where he focused on the ecology and population dynamics of aflatoxigenic and non-aflatoxigenic *Aspergillus flavus* in soil. He has joined the MPM Unit as a Research Plant Pathologist. His passion is to conduct research that ensures sustainable agriculture, food safety, and food security. He is interested in investigating the factors that influence mycotoxin contamination of crops. His overarching goal is to conduct research that contributes to practices and policies improving crop production systems. Thus, providing information to educate farmers, institutions, industries, and other stakeholders about the most cost-effective and environmentally sound strategies for mitigating plant diseases and their associated mycotoxins.  Click to Access my Publications  ProjectsInnovative Food and Feed Safety Research to Eliminate Mycotoxin Contamination in Corn and other CropsIn-House Appropriated (D)Accession Number:438647 Publications(Clicking on the reprint iconReprint Icon  will take you to the publication reprint.)First report and characterization of Fusarium meriodinale, F. boothii and F. temperatum causing preharvest maize ear rot in Ethiopia-(Peer Reviewed Journal)Biophysical factors and agronomic practices associated with Fusarium ear rot and fumonisin contamination of maize in multiple agroecosystems in Ethiopia-(Peer Reviewed Journal) Deressa, T., Girma, A., Suresh, L.M., Bekeko, Z., Opoku, J., Vaughan, M., Proctor, R.H., Busman, M., Burgueno, J., Prasanna, B.M. 2023. Biophysical factors and agronomic practices associated with Fusarium ear rot and fumonisin contamination of maize in multiple agroecosystems in Ethiopia. Crop Science. https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.21159.Population structure and genetic diversity of Fusarium graminearum from southwestern Russia and the Russian Far East as compared to northern Europe and North America-(Peer Reviewed Journal) Yli-Mattila, T., Opoku, J., Ward, T.J. 2023. Population structure and genetic diversity of Fusarium graminearum from southwestern Russia and the Russian Far East as compared to northern Europe and North America. Mycologia. 115(4):513-523. https://doi.org/10.1080/00275514.2023.2198927.Characterization of the Aspergillus flavus population from highly aflatoxin-contaminated corn in the United States-(Peer Reviewed Journal) Weaver, M.A., Callicott, K.A., Mehl, H.L., Opoku, J., Park, L.C., Fields, K., Mandel, J.R. 2022. Characterization of the Aspergillus flavus population from highly aflatoxin-contaminated corn in the United States. Toxins. 14(11). Article 755. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins14110755.Why do plant-pathogenic fungi produce mycotoxins? Potential roles for mycotoxins in the plant ecosystem-(Review Article) Sweany, R.R., Breunig, M., Opoku, J., Clay, K., Spatafora, J.W., Drott, M.T., Baldwin, T.T., Fountain, J.C. 2022. Why do plant-pathogenic fungi produce mycotoxins? Potential roles for mycotoxins in the plant ecosystem. Phytopathology. 112(10):2044-2051. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-02-22-0053-SYM.Enzymatic degradation is an effective means to reduce aflatoxin contamination in maize-(Peer Reviewed Journal) Schmidt, M., Mao, Y., Opoku, J., Mehl, H.L. 2021. Enzymatic degradation is an effective means to reduce aflatoxin contamination in maize. BioMed Central (BMC)Biotechnology. 21. Article 70. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12896-021-00730-6.


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