2016 was likely the worst year on record for fusarium head blight (FHB) infection in Western Canada, as the disease has spread west and north since becoming a problem in southern Manitoba in the early 1990s.
According to the Canada Grain Commission’s harvest sample survey, almost a quarter of cereal samples in Alberta tested positive for the disease last year, surpassing the previous record high set in 2014. Over 90 percent of samples tested positive in Manitoba, while between 70 and 80 percent tested positive in Saskatchewan.
In this Wheat School episode, we talk to Kelly Turkington, plant pathologist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Lacombe, about “one of the key constraints for successful small grain cereal production in Western Canada.”
“We are looking at starting some work to develop some integrated crop management strategies with this particular disease,” says Turkington. “But of all the issues I deal with and develop practical strategies to manage, it is probably the most difficult to get a really high level of control on.”
Turkington also talks about the importance of irrigation management on irrigated land, fungicide efficacy, scouting tips and more:
Related:
- Wheat School: The Fusarium Head Blight Spray Decision
- Wheat School – Three Key Components of Fusarium Head Blight Management
- Wheat School: Is the Double Nozzle a Must for Fusarium Control?
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