Meta-analysis of regression coefficients for the relationship between fusarium head blight and deoxynivalenol content of wheat.

ABSTRACT A total of 126 field studies reporting deoxynivalenol (DON; ppm) content of harvested wheat grain and Fusarium head blight index (IND; field or plot-level disease severity) were analyzed to determine the overall mean regression slope and intercept for the relationship between DON and IND, and the influence of study-specific variables on the slope and intercept. A separate linear regression analysis was performed to determine the slope and intercept for each study followed by a meta-analysis of the regression coefficients from all studies. Between-study variances were significantly (P < 0.05) greater than 0, indicating substantial variation in the relationship between the variables. Regression slopes and intercepts were between -0.27 and 1.48 ppm per unit IND and -10.55 to 32.75 ppm, respectively. The overall mean regression slope and intercept, 0.22 ppm per unit IND and 2.94 ppm, respectively, were significantly different from zero (P < 0.001), and the width of the 95% confidence interval was 0.0...