Reading Time: < 1 minute Over the last several years, a number of issues has been observed in garlic crops in Alberta, with reduced yields, poor storability, and poor performance. Plant and soil samples collected from across the province in the last two years have found a number of diseases, including aster yellows, white rot (sclerotinia), fusarium basal plate rot, […] Read more
Garlic and onion disease survey underway
Samples across the province have revealed a number of diseases
Keep watch for fusarium graminearum in cereal crops
The fungal disease is established in southern Alberta in areas especially under irrigation
Reading Time: 2 minutes Fusarium graminearum (Fg) is a serious fungal disease, affecting yield and quality. Recent surveys indicate Fg is established in southern Alberta and traces are present in central and northern regions of the province. “When weather conditions are favourable for infection, and in irrigated cropping systems, an in-crop fungicide application may be considered, but only provides […] Read more
Things not going as hoped? That’s normal, says crop specialist
Whether it’s production conditions or markets, producers need to have a Plan B
Reading Time: 2 minutes Preparation is key when dealing with the unexpected, says provincial crop specialist Harry Brook. “There’s always a lot of talk about ‘normal’ when talking about cropping and agriculture,” said Brook. “Advanced planning and adjustments are needed to avoid possible devastating results when ‘normal’ doesn’t occur. Whether it applies to spring weather conditions or markets or […] Read more
Potato and tomato growers warned to keep watch for late blight
Monitor for symptoms in tomato transplants and in early-emerging potato plants
Reading Time: < 1 minute There has been a great deal of concern in Alberta in the last few years about late blight, a serious disease that mainly affects potatoes and tomatoes. Favourable conditions for disease development have resulted in multiple outbreaks of late blight in commercial market gardens, as well as urban potato and tomato crops throughout parts of […] Read more
Late blight risk on potatoes and tomatoes again this year
The disease can be carried over in infected material
Reading Time: < 1 minute Over the last few growing seasons, growers have seen signs of late blight, a serious disease that mainly affects potatoes and tomatoes. This disease is caused by an aggressive fungus that develops rapidly under wet/moist environmental conditions. Wet conditions, combined with the presence of the pathogen, has resulted in continuing outbreaks of late blight in […] Read more
Start scouting: stripe rust in winter wheat is spreading north
Producers across the province need to start scouting their winter wheat fields for signs of stripe rust
Reading Time: 3 minutes Stripe rust overwintering on three winter wheat fields in the Edmonton area is “concerning,” says a provincial winter wheat agronomist. “Last year, stripe rust overwintered in the central Alberta region, near Lacombe, Red Deer, and Olds, which was alarming because it really hasn’t overwintered in years,” said Janine Paly of Ducks Unlimited Canada. “Last year, […] Read more
Crop pest and disease watch for 2015
Some of the usual suspects could be back this year, especially if you are pushing your rotations
Reading Time: 6 minutes The new growing season is underway, with a combination of old and new challenges and opportunities. Alberta Farmer reporter Alexis Kienlen asked some experts about things that producers should look out for this growing season. Here’s what they had to say: Plant diseases It’s difficult for plant pathologists to predict the possibility of diseases, said Kelly […] Read more
Canola growers get grim warning on clubroot threat
No varieties have strong resistance to new pathotypes, longer rotations are ‘the best management option left’
Reading Time: 2 minutes The Alberta Canola Producers Commission is urging producers to step up their efforts to contain clubroot in the province. “Since new data indicates some forms of clubroot resistance are no longer functioning well against new clubroot pathotypes in some of the heavily infested fields, we encourage you to consider a comprehensive management plan that includes all […] Read more
Stripe rust reported in County of Forty Mile and in Parkland Co
Reading Time: < 1 minute Stripe rust has been reported on older leaves of winter wheat all across central and southern Alberta. Frequent scouting and monitoring of stripe rust in winter wheat is strongly urged. Protection with a fungicide application may be required at flag leaf emergence if the disease begins to move into the upper canopy in susceptible winter […] Read more
Stripe rust update for southern and central Alberta
Reading Time: < 1 minute Stripe rust continues to be reported in southern and central Alberta. Eric Amundsen at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Lethbridge surveyed winter wheat fields for stripe rust last week and reported finding the disease in five of 12 fields (two in Cardston County, one field in each of Lethbridge County, County of Warner and M.D. […] Read more
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