## 4 FHB Management
### Potential of Biocontrol Agent (BCA)-Resistant Crop Genotype (RCG) Protocooperation  
Several studies have already demonstrated cereal hosts resistance factors as well the BCA eco-friendly control effectiveness in reducing FHB. Undoubtedly, great strides have been made using Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology in deciphering the whole genome of wheat, durum, and _Fusarium graminearum_. The transcriptome of _F. graminearum_ during the infection of wheat [178] further revealed the fungal genes coding for metabolites and multiple virulence factors assisting the spread and progression of the FHB epidemics. However, these insights also highlighted the complexity of pathogenic _Fusarium_, suggesting that a more rigorous management system is needed to control FHB and its mycotoxins. Further underscoring the need for a more improved management strategy, is the emergence of new _Fusarium_ pathogenic lines and a shift to aggressive mycotoxins chemotypes such as the acetylated DON derivatives 3 ADON over 15 ADON, and the challenge of global warming which makes FHB a greater threat to even the most resistant wheat and durum (_cvs_) presently on the market.  
While the most promising cultivars provide a certain level of type I and type II resistance, there is no cultivar that is primed to effectively reduce or minimise the effects of harmful mycotoxins such as DON, NIV, FUM, AUS. It is at this juncture that protocooperation between wheat and durum hosts and BCAs can possibly be a promising sustainable strategy in the management of FHB in cereal crops.  
Numerous studies are available on Fusarium-host interaction, host improvement though cultivar optimisation, breeding for FHB resistance, fungicide effectiveness and other management strategies as uncovered by data from the Web of Science Database (Figure 3). However, at the bottom of this FHB management list sits the least explored management area BCA-Fusarium-crop host interaction. A quick advance search in the Web of Science Database [62] attests that a great chasm exists between studies that investigate other FHB management strategies and the tripartite interaction between BCA as crop host supporters or enhancers of resistance against FHB. Indeed, the tripartite _Sphaerodes_ (BCA)-_Fusarium graminearum_ (pathogenic host)-wheat (plant host) experiments using Synchrotron-based Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) showed that protocooperative strategy is possible; it can be applied in agriculture fields as an early disease prevention and without genetic modifications in cereal crops [174]. Nonetheless, there is a huge gap of knowledge pertinent to the domain of protocooperation such as (i) BCAs and breeding, (ii) BCAs and cultivars, (iii) BCAs and fungicides and (iv) BCAs and other management strategies as shown in (Figure 4). A search in the Web of Science database also revealed that there are 7% scientific papers on BCA + breeding and 22% on BCA + cultivars compared to 71% papers reported on BCA with fungicides and management over the 70-year period (1951-2021). Hence, there is a great potential in exploring the interaction of BCA and cultivars throughout breeding programs in small cereals towards more sustainable protocooperative control method to reduce FHB in crops (Figure 4). This area of protocooperation between BCAs and crop genotypes under current management strategies is vast and the potential for discovering new protective mechanisms using OMICS (genomics-transcriptomics-proteomics) strategies is promising. As the history of controlling FHB in wheat, durum and other crops have shown, a more effective resistance against FHB is mounted when management strategies are combined.