Required for cytoplasm to vacuole transport (Cvt), autophagy, nucleophagy, and mitophagy, as a part of the autophagy-specific VPS34 PI3-kinase complex I (By similarity). This complex is essential to recruit the ATG8-phosphatidylinositol conjugate and the ATG12-ATG5 conjugate to the pre-autophagosomal structure (By similarity). Also involved in endosome-to-Golgi retrograde transport as part of the VPS34 PI3-kinase complex II (By similarity). Autophagy is required for proper vegetative growth, asexual/sexual reproduction, and full virulence (PubMed:28894236). Autophagy is particularly involved in the biosynthesis of deoxynivalenol (DON), an important virulence determinant (PubMed:28894236). Component of the autophagy-specific VPS34 PI3-kinase complex I; and of the VPS34 PI3-kinase complex II (By similarity). With the VPS34 PI3-kinase complex I, localizes to the vacuole-isolation membrane contact site (VICS) during isolation membrane (IM) expansion (By similarity). The IM is a membrane sac generated from the pre-autophagosomal structure that ultimately expands to become a mature autophagosome (By similarity). The C-terminal domain called the BARA domain is dispensable for the construction of both VPS34 PI3-kinase complexes, but is specifically required for autophagy through the targeting of complex I to the pre-autophagosomal structure (By similarity). Significantly decreases the radial growth of colonies under nutrient-rich conditions (PubMed:28894236). Causes only mild infection in point-inoculated spikelets of flowering wheat heads and impairs the spreading to nearby spikelets (PubMed:28894236). Belongs to the beclin family.