Disease Levels are Looking Good, But There’s a Catch

As planting season approaches, growers and the seed industry in Canada are gearing up for another growing season. Naturally, they are also concerned about disease. First, the good news.

Although overall the year has been average compared to the last 10 years in terms of Fusarium graminearumand other widespread pathogens, there have been some modest spikes in positive samples for Ascochyta in chickpea, which can be devastating for crops.

Although the number of positive samples isn’t high overall, the percentage of positives is higher this year than usual. The presence of Ascochyta in chickpea is a cause for concern, as even subtle upswings in disease levels can eventually turn into a problem if not taken seriously.

While there have been some increases in the number of wheat and barley samples testing positive for Fusarium graminearum in Alberta, the overall percentage of infection is slightly higher than the average of the last 10 years. However, the higher number of positives could be related to crop rotation practices. Geographically, the eastern border of Alberta shows the highest percentage of positive samples.