Reading Time: 7 minutes The removal of fusarium head blight from Alberta’s Agricultural Pests Act has sparked protests from farmers in the as-yet-uninfected northern parts of the province. “My biggest concern is that we’re opening the gates to infect thus far uninfected areas of the province,” said Janice Reyda, who farms in the Peace Country near Brownvale. “Fusarium is […] Read more
Fusarium removal from pest act sparks protest
Farmers in north fear the regulatory change will open the doors to fusarium — and make cereal crops unprofitable
Fusarium rule change applauded
Reading Time: < 1 minute Cereal and seed organizations are hailing the province’s decision to remove fusarium graminearum from the Pest Nuisance Control Regulation of the Agricultural Pests Act. “This news has been a long time coming,” said Alberta Wheat chair Todd Hames. “FHB (fusarium head blight) is well established in Alberta and since it’s spread through airborne spores, we […] Read more
Proper combine adjustment pays off now and later
You don’t want fusarium-damaged kernels lowering grade or spreading spores, says crop specialist
Reading Time: 3 minutes Producers need to make combine adjustments to prevent kernels damaged by fusarium head blight from going into storage, says a provincial crop specialist. Harvest management of fusarium-damaged kernels (FDK) will improve the grade of a cereal crop, said Neil Whatley. “Many FDKs — especially in wheat — are smaller, lighter in weight, and more shrunken […] Read more
Don’t let your guard down — fusarium still a risk
Dry weather greatly reduced the incidence of the fungal disease last year, but the threat is likely greater than ever
Reading Time: 3 minutes Producers should be on the lookout for fusarium head blight this year, even though the incidence of the fungal disease was down in 2017. “Forecasting head blight is really quite challenging,” said Mike Harding, a research scientist and plant pathologist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. Read more: Provincial legislation isn’t helping fusarium battle, say seed growers […] Read more
Provincial legislation isn’t helping fusarium battle, say seed growers
Grower groups argue a zero-tolerance approach is the wrong way to reduce its spread in Alberta
Reading Time: 3 minutes Fusarium graminearum is listed as a pest in the province, and that’s causing trouble for the crop industry. “Now that it’s in the pest act, it’s hard to get it out of the pest act,” said Ward Oatway, chair of the Alberta Seed Growers Association and owner of Oatway Seeds in Lacombe. His association, the […] Read more
Now is the time to create next year’s battle plan for fusarium
Scouting this year is the first step in limiting the impact of the cereal disease next year
Reading Time: 2 minutes Although it’s likely too late to apply a fungicide for fusarium graminearum, producers can still use the information they gather about the outbreak to plan for subsequent growing seasons. Fusarium graminearum is considered the most important fusarium head blight (FHB) species due to its aggressiveness and production of deoxynivalenol or DON (a.k.a. vomitoxin), said crop […] Read more
Tips when feeding unharvested crops
Digestibility, nutrient levels, and presence of mycotoxins are factors to consider before swath grazing or baling
Reading Time: 2 minutes Using overwintered cereal crops for swath grazing this spring — or baling for use as greenfeed next fall and winter — is an option but raises some concerns. “Typically, protein and energy contents are lower in the spring compared to the fall,” said provincial beef and forage specialist Barry Yaremcio. “Digestibility of the feeds can […] Read more
Fusarium is tough, but you can fight back, says crop scientist
Planting winter wheat and bumping seeding rates can help, but fungicides aren’t a silver bullet
Reading Time: 3 minutes The forecast is for more fusarium — and possibly a lot more if it’s another wet year. “As you know, the severity and incidence of fusarium is actually on the rise — if we continue to get the weather that we’re getting, we can expect the same,” Agriculture Canada research scientist Brian Beres said during […] Read more
Don’t delay if you haven’t lined up seed
All that rain last year has elevated fusarium levels and lowered germination rates
Reading Time: 3 minutes The quality of cereal seed in Alberta is down — and disease pressure is up — across almost all classes, say players at the front lines of the upcoming growing season’s seed outlook. “Disease levels are a little higher this year and that’s having an adverse effect on quality,” said Trevor Nysetvold of BioVision, a […] Read more
Battling fusarium requires new initiatives
Reading Time: < 1 minute Both the grain sector and government need to respond to rising fusarium rates, says the president of Alberta Seed Growers. One of the first things to do is recognize that FHB has become a significant problem and then create policies that do not unnecessarily penalize producers, said Glenn Logan. Read more: Don’t delay if you haven’t […] Read more
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