A fungicide application can have a significant impact on final winter wheat yields. That’s according to the latest report from the Ontario Cereal Crops Committee (OCCC) which reveals that fungicides, in 2024 trials, delivered an average 12 to 13 bushels per acre yield advantage when compared to the same variety without a fungicide application. University… Read More
Category: Diseases
When growers discover soybean cyst nematode (SCN) in their fields, sudden death syndrome (SDS) may not be far behind. Those nematodes act as an enabler for SDS by creating an entry point for the disease pathogen to enter roots and infect the plant. That’s why it’s important for growers to employ an integrated management program… Read More
As tar spot continues to spread northeast across Ontario’s corn region, growers are looking to build a better defence against the yield-robbing leaf disease. Crop genetics and fungicide will likely be the one-two punch growers use to control the disease, which is characterized by tar-like speckling on the upper surface of corn leaves. The fungal… Read More
Ever since tar spot leaf disease first hit Ontario corn growers’ radar back in 2019, extension specialists and industry have been working diligently to stay a step ahead of the yield-robbing disease. Seed companies have identified hybrids in their product lineups with stronger resistance to the disease and also worked with growers to effectively manage… Read More
As farmers across the country are eager to see their hard-earned canola crop augered into bins, it is already time to start planning for the next growing season. Ordering seed is often where next year’s management decisions begin, and the decisions around which resistance package to choose can seem daunting. A large part of deciding… Read More
With an average of over 20 million seeded acres, canola is one of Canada’s most widely grown crops. Used for cooking oil, processing foods, biofuel and protein for both animal feed and human consumption, it’s safe to say that it’s important to keep this vital crop protected from diseases such as clubroot, a disease that… Read More
In 1996, fusarium devastated the Ontario wheat crop. More than 90 percent of the crop was downgraded to feed, or sample, or simply dumped in the bush thanks to high deoxynivalenol (DON) levels. In 2024, fusarium was back in Ontario fields, but the crop, with help from improved genetic resistance and improved fungicides, was much… Read More
Is anthesis the key timing for a fungicide pass if fusarium is the risk? Possibly, but going too early can leave heads or parts of heads unprotected, and later infection can cause some big downgrades due to DON production (a toxin produced by the disease). For this episode of the Wheat School, Amber Bell is… Read More
New developments in testing are expected to provide soybean growers with valuable information to fend off yield-robbing root rot caused by the water mould known as Phytophthora sojae. Beyond crop rotation and drainage, selecting varieties with genetic resistance, via major genes and overall field tolerance, is the best management tool for mitigating phytophthora infection, but… Read More
Each time farmers or agronomists are in the field is a chance to scout for disease symptoms. Unfortunately, fungicide products aren’t curative — and not every product can control every disease. Knowing what disease pressure is present or confirming one disease over the other is a key part of a canola disease managment plan. Disease… Read More