Cover crops have long been touted for their ability to help maintain soil health, control erosion, reduce nutrient loss and improve soil fertility. But could they put grain and oilseed crops at risk by playing host to disease and pests? That’s a question OMAFRA field pathologist Albert Tenuta is trying to answer. In this video,… Read More
Soybean growers have a new tool in their fight to manage the impact of sudden death syndrome (SDS) and soybean cyst nematode (SCN). Earlier this month, Bayer CropScience received registration for Ilevo/Votivo, a new soybean seed treatment. At its recent Dead Weeds Tour, Bayer’s D&L Manager Luc Bourgeois told growers it will be the first… Read More
Wheat harvest is underway in southern parts of Ontario, with yields ranging anywhere from an ugly-and-diseased 40 bushels an acre to 110 bushels in areas south of London, as Real Agriculture agronomist Peter Johnson shares leading off his update this week. What’s there to be learned from all the fusarium in wheat this year? It’s that… Read More
We’re approaching a critical stage for corn — tasseling — and weather conditions in some areas are conducive to high disease development. Recently in the Corn School, we’ve talked prioritizing fields for a fungicide application and where and how to scout for leaf disease in corn, but did you know that there’s another factor at… Read More
Several factors converge to increase the threat of diseases on a corn crop, from the history of a disease in the field, to the amount of residue, to the weather. Unfortunately, several corn diseases are carried by wind and can end up in your field whether you practice good rotation practices or not. Related: How… Read More
You have several corn fields and only one of you — how do you prioritize which field gets fungicide first? 2015 is shaping up to likely be a high disease pressure year, says Albert Tenuta, field crop plant pathologist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), and a little planning now… Read More
If you’ve noticed increasing levels of northern corn leaf blight in some of your fields, it could be that the hybrids you’re planting don’t have the right gene to resist infection. That’s because the pathogen has evolved to bypass some of the older sources of resistance, says Albert Tenuta, field crop pathologist with the Ontario… Read More
It’s a disease that affects a number of significant crops in Canada, including vegetables, pulses, canola and even some forage species. And last year, some farmers saw particularly high levels of white mould in soybean crops across Ontario. Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, or white mold, makes its mark on plants in lesions that appear water-soaked; white, fluffy mycelium;… Read More
The disease pressure landscape changes as the season progresses and from year to year, but there are always the endemic threats that farmers have to manage for. Part of the disease scouting process includes knowing what to look for, including some new or rare pests that could be making their way into your growing region…. Read More
Planting in to cool and especially cool and wet soils is not ideal for soybeans. But that description applies to most planting conditions in Ontario and perhaps most of Canada. Because of this reality, fungicide seed treatments are an invaluable tool in the establishment of healthy, vigorous, soybean stands. Albert Tenuta, provincial field crop pathologist… Read More
Damage from soybean cyst nematode can be minor, but once this pest is established in a field, it’s there for good. Since being confirmed in Ontario about 15 years ago, the nematode moved throughout much of the soybean growing region. Knowing the nematode pressure level in your fields is essential to minimizing damage through the… Read More
Rust in cereals, and especially stripe rust, is a disease that it can be easy to allow to drop off the radar. After all, the spores are carried by wind and may not reach your growing region in time to really cause an issue. What’s more, decent varietal resistance exists for many races of rust,… Read More
When any crop disease makes it’s way into new territory, one of the most important steps in keeping it under control is being able to diagnose and identify it. That’s precisely the situation soybean producers find themselves in with Soybean Vein Necrosis Virus. The virus is fairly new on the scene in Ontario and it’s… Read More
Fall is a great time to do a few things: soil test, research soybean varieties for next year and test for soybean cyst nematode (SCN). The three tasks can actually be done simultaneously. As Albert Tenuta, field crop plant pathologist with OMAFRA, explains in this video, now is a great time to test for SCN…. Read More
First identified in Tennessee in 2008, soybean vein necrosis virus was confirmed just over a week ago in two Ontario counties. Easily confused with general plant stress, Cercospora leaf blight or scald (sunburn), SVNV often begin as light green to yellow patches near the main leaf veins which may enlarge eventually becoming necrotic (brown) areas. … Read More