The 5th International Symposium on Fusarium Head Blight (ISFHB) and the 2nd International Workshop on Wheat Blast (IWWB), both held April 6-10, 2016, at Costão do Santinho, Florianópolis, Brazil. The ISFHB meets every four years and is an open scientific meeting on FHB-related issues. The IWWB follows-up the “Wheat blast: A potential threat to global wheat production” international workshop held in 2010 at Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil. These two meetings are a unique opportunity for all those involved in the issues regarding two of the most important diseases of wheat, including plant scientists, public health experts, crop consultants and representatives from industry.