b"FHB MANAGEMENTFightingFusarium Head BlightTwo Alberta experts share their views on best practices for managingthe fungal disease in cereal crops. FUSARIUM HEAD BLIGHT (FHB) is a growing threat in Alberta. This serious fungal disease of wheat, barley, oats and corn first appeared in southern Alberta crops in the 1990s and has been slowly spreading north and west since then.While there is no silver bullet available to growers to ward off FHB in their crops, there are steps they can take to reduce the impact of disease. According to Kelly Turkington, an Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada plant pathology researcher based in Lacombe, Alta., the two primary weapons used to combat FHB, fungicides and resistant varieties, dont provide the same measure of control they do for some other important cereal diseases. Thats why Turkington believes an integrated approach that utilizes a series of best practices from seeding to residue management at harvest offers the best chance of success for FHB control. We asked Turkington as well as Clair Langlois, a cereal extension specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, about management practices they feel can help growers minimize the presence and effect of FHB on their farms. Resistant VarietiesTurkington believes the first line of defence against FHB is to grow varieties with the best available level of resistance againstBarley infected with Fusarium head blight. PHOTO: T.K. TURKINGTON.Fusarium graminearum, the predominant Fusarium species in Alberta. Healthy SeedEmerson is a winter wheat rated Resistant (R) to FHB andTurkington states another key to FHB control is using good AAC Tenacious is a Canadian Prairie Spring Red variety thatquality certified seed, or at the least, seed tested for the also has an R rating. There are a number of other spring wheatFusarium pathogen. varieties rated Moderately Resistant (MR), and among theTo fully understand what youre facing in your field or in your durums, Intermediate is the best rating.area, that means testing, making sure the seed youre planting is Turkington says resistance to FHB is harder to achieve intested for F. graminearum, he says.wheat than it is for some other pathogens, so the level of diseaseLanglois agrees its important for growers to do their due control typically isnt as high as it would be for a stripe rustdiligence when procuring secure seed.resistant variety, for example. But he says when used as part of aWhen buying certified seed, he says growers should ask disease management program, varieties with an R or MR ratingfor a seed health report with testing results specifically for still offer some assurance against F. graminearum infection. F. graminearum. Using seed of the highest quality with high That doesn't guarantee you wont have problems, but itgermination and vigour scores, and the lowest disease levels greatly reduces your risk compared to a highly susceptibleas possible.Langlois also recommends growers keep a variety, says Turkington.representative sample of the seed they purchased.38seed.ab.ca"