Phone: (309) 681-6383
Fax: (309) 681-6672
Room 1123
USDA ARS NCAUR
1815 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 

• Projects

  Innovative Food and Feed Safety Research to Eliminate Mycotoxin Contamination in Corn and other Crops In-House Appropriated (D)   Accession Number:438647

  Rapid Prediction and Measurement of Aflatoxin in Whole Kernel and Ground Corn Using a Portable Imager Non-Funded Cooperative Agreement (N)   Accession Number:446214

• Publications

  • (Clicking on the reprint icon will take you to the publication reprint.)
  • Identification and pathogenicity of Fusarium species associated with preharvest maize ear rot in Ethiopia-(Peer Reviewed Journal)
    
    
  • Fusarium boothii, Fusarium meridionale, and Fusarium temperatum are emerging preharvest maize ear rot pathogens in Ethiopia -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
    Temesgen, D., Adugna, G., Suresh, L.M., Bekeko, Z., Iriarte-Broders, G., Vaughan, M.M., Proctor, R., Mehl, H.L., Prasanna, B.M., Opoku, J. 2024. Fusarium boothii, Fusarium meridionale, and Fusarium temperatum are emerging preharvest maize ear rot pathogens in Ethiopia. Plant Disease. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-12-23-2765-SR.
    
  • 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.
    
  • Enzymatic degradation of aflatoxin accumulation in dry maize kernels as a promising post-harvest mitigation strategy-(Peer Reviewed Journal)
    
    
  • 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.