Fusarium levels may increase significantly in parts of Manitoba from last year’s low numbers, but the rest of the Prairies aren’t projected to experience major outbreaks.
“Fusarium was extremely low in 2017,” notes Manitoba Agriculture field crop pathologist Holly Derksen. “I expect there will be pockets in the province this year that will see significantly higher levels than they did last year.”
Warm, humid conditions, or rain events, that occur during cereal flowering favour the development of fusarium head blight, the province reports.
Manitoba
Manitoba’s FHB risk increased with more moisture across the province since the beginning of July, with some areas seeing rain even earlier, Derksen says.
But recent hot days in the province might have offset rain and heavier dews somewhat, as temperatures above 30C aren’t conducive to pathogen development.
FHB risk was low in south-central Manitoba, where wheat was flowering the last week of June.
“Conditions were extremely dry and because of the dry spring, the wheat was quite short,” Derksen says. “In addition to not receiving rain, there was also no microclimate for pathogen development.”
Alberta
FHB risks in Alberta aren’t as high some previous years, says provincial crop specialist Neil Whatley.
FHB reached record proportions in 2016, but became far less problematic in 2017 as rainfall dropped off by the end of June, except for some areas in northeast and northwest, he says.
Winter cereals will be out of the danger zone soon, but spring cereals haven’t advanced far enough yet.
Although east central Alberta’s moisture levels increased this year, Whatley doesn’t expect it’ll be enough to cause an outbreak, especially as the typically drier zone lacks an FHB history.
FHB incidents are more likely in areas with more moisture, like southern parts under irrigation, he says.
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan cereal crops were still in the heading stage last week, so no incidences of fusarium were reported at that time, according to provincial plant disease specialist Barb Ziesman.
“In early July, we see a higher risk in the northeast part of the province, but when we move farther south, it’s typically a lower risk, just because it’s been hotter and drier,” Ziesman says.
Source : FCC