b'To:All agricultural producers in AlbertaThe smaller the pieces, the better, because the more rapidly itRe:Fusarium graminearum status in Albertawill decompose, says Turkington. If you get good spread of the material, you wont have the thick sort of swath of chaff that mightFusarium graminearum (Fg) was declared a pest in the Pest and Nuisance take a bit longer to decompose in subsequent growing seasons. Control Regulation under the Agricultural Pest Act in Alberta as an eradication strategy in 1999.Since then, infection levels and spread of the Crop Rotation pathogen are increasing across Alberta. For example, in 2016, 26.5 per Allowing more time for crop stubble to break down beforecent1 of cereal fields surveyed, and 85.3 per cent1 of corn fields inspected reintroducing another cereal crop to the field is another waycontained the pathogen.Forecasts for 2019 point towards a higher to reduce the risk of Fusarium infection. Langlois says a shortincidence of infection in high rainfall areas of Alberta, especially in crops or continuous rotation of cereal crops can allow for a buildupthat received rain during flowering.of F. graminearum on infested residues, so its recommendedAlberta Seed Growers and Alberta Seed Processors through their growers leave at least two years between host crops. work in a multi-faceted industry working group launched by the Alberta Because corn is also susceptible to F. graminearum, LangloisWheat Commission have put forward the following request of the Alberta says it should be avoided in rotation with small grain cereals. Government: You have to be careful what you pick for a rotation, and corn is definitely not one, he says. Modernize the current Pest and Nuisance Control Regulation to Turkington agrees. If you look at history, corn is anmove away from a seed-infection based regulatory approach to mitigation important host for Fusarium graminearum, and that means itsand management. Instead, we recommend a focus on the use of best an important host crop for subsequent small grain cereal cropsmanagement practices to control the disease. in terms of future risk. So certainly, corn exacerbates the riskThis regulatory change would allow for the free and transparent you may have. movement of seed with minor levels of Fg infection for propagation and For many Alberta grain farmers, canola is a popular rotationresearch. It would also emphasize a focus on the more effective disease choice with cereals. Both Langlois and Turkington say field peasmanagement of employing best management practice tools. are an excellent rotational crop growers should consider as well. Following are the consequences of maintaining status quo of Fg as a Field location can also be an important consideration for FHBpest in the current Pest and Nuisance Control Regulation:control since wind-blown F. graminearum spores can easily travel from one field to the next. Langlois says for this reason,Economic Disadvantage for Alberta Producers it makes sense for growers to try to avoid planting small grain Alberta farmers are at a competitive disadvantage to access newer cereals right beside cereal or corn fields where F. graminearumvarieties available to farmers in other provinces; it is becoming more levels are known or suspected to be high. difficult to find pedigreed seed that has non-detectable levels of Fg. High-quality pedigreed seed with very low infection levels of Fg (0.5 per Combination of Practices cent) is being shipped out of province or dumped as commercial grain, Turkington says in those areas where the fusarium pathogenleaving farmers with less opportunity to purchase pedigreed seed.is well established, relying on crop rotation alone is likely notMaintaining a focus only on seed infection increases the risk of producingenough when it comes to FHB prevention.fusarium infected crops, as it takes the focus off wind-borne spore You might have a good rotation, at least two, if not three yearsinfection from infected cereal and corn fields.between susceptible crops, but your neighbour next door may not necessarily be following that type of crop rotation, he says.Albertas Seed Industry is Not SustainableWhat you might find are spores literally being blown across aSeed growers are finding it increasingly difficult to find higher generations gravel road from one field to one thats immediately adjacent,of the newer varieties with improved fusarium resistance, resorting to and those fields would be most at risk. growing older varieties; which does not help farmers trying to manage Turkington says thats why using multiple tactics to fightfusarium.FHB is the most effective strategy, and hes optimistic with newSeed production companies are at a tipping point where it is next to research into areas like variety development, seed health andimpossible to justify multiplying varieties in Alberta where they are at enhanced agronomic practices, farmers will eventually have asubstantial risk of producing seed with detectable levels of fusarium. larger and more effective toolbox to work with. These new seed varieties, when detectable levels of fusarium are present, In Alberta, Fusarium head blight is a big issue that can causeare then shipped out of province, where out-of-province producers are at a some significant problems, he says. The tools we have [tohuge advantage of gaining quicker access.fight it] do not necessarily work as well as we would like themPlease join us, along with other members of the fusarium working group, to right now, but theres lots of research and activity going intoto support the amendment of the Pest and Nuisance Control Regulation to improving that, so Im hopeful. address the current fusarium reality. Email your support for change or anyMark Halsall comments to the fusarium working group:[email protected],Alberta Seed Processors and Alberta Seed Growers1 Harding, Michael;Research Scientist, Plant Pathology Crop Research and Extension Branch Alberta Agriculture and Forestry Summary of Surveys for Fusarium Head Blight caused by Fusarium graminearum in Alberta Wheat Fields, ACIDF Project # 2015C017RFall 2019 41'