GrainsWest Fall 2020

Fall 2020 Grains West 40 Peace Country farmers and seed growers are among those less than enthusiastic about the change. “A lot of farmers in this region thought they were an island, as we have a large green zone that isolates us from other farms in Alberta,” said Nick Sekulic, who operates a commercial grain and pedigreed seed business in the Rycroft area. “There was a time when Fusarium wasn’t even on our radar, but we have had a number of wet growing seasons over the last several years that produced prime conditions for Fusarium to thrive. As a result, growers are realizing that Fusarium is now an issue, and that testing and treating their seed is more important than ever.” The focus on disease management over zero tolerance is the accepted way forward. With its main tasks accomplished, the Fusarium working group is passing the torch to the FAC, which is now sorting out its role as the industry evolves. “We recently held a meeting to set the stage for the future of the FAC and we see our role as still relevant from a policy perspective,” said Lauren Comin, AWC and Alberta Barley director of research. “We can inform various extension and education measures around Fusarium management as we have the right experts at the table. Also, as we update the management plan to encourage best management practices, we can add new tools to the plan based on the most recent research results.” Whatever your perspective, it is a brave new world for Alberta farmers, and one that will aid them in the ongoing battle with Fusarium . “Farmers will have a heightened awareness and greater vigilance around the disease,” said Comin. “The real benefit is the educational aspect in knowing you must be on your toes about Fusarium and manage it appropriately.” Part of that management involves asking the right questions: Am I growing the right crop? What am I experiencing at flowering? What are the weather conditions in my area and are they conducive to Fusarium ? Have I or my neighbours recently seen Fusarium in the field? AWC will continue to invest in research to combat Fusarium with resistant varieties being the first line of defence. “Historically, we haven’t had great Fusarium resistance as it is a complex disease controlled by a number of genes,” said Comin. “We continue to use the latest genetic and genomic methods to include resistance in our varieties. We are also looking at different learnings in terms of management and rotation, and gaining insights from other provinces that have dealt with the disease and changed their farming practices. For example, we don’t want to lose a crop like durum due to its poor resistance, so what else can we do to manage the disease?” To further support farmers in their fight against Fusarium , AWC and Alberta Barley recently launched the FHB website managefhb.ca . The site features information on how and why to manage Fusarium . It also outlines the regulation change and what it means for farmers. Due to the vagaries of weather and consumer demand, Alberta farmers will always contend with a level of stress regarding Fusarium , but they can take comfort that zero tolerance is a thing of the past. FEATURE managefhb.ca Plan your FHB management strategy In-season management Season planning Harvest management Storage and handling management