b'FUSARIUM UPDATEPreparing for the FutureWith fusarium removed from Albertas Pest and Nuisance Control Regulations, farmers in the province now are focusing on controlling the disease. THIS SUMMER MARKED a new chapter in Albertas agriculture history. For the last few decades Fusarium graminearum has been under Albertas Pest and Nuisance Control Regulationsthis summer though it was removed, opening up a new door for the agriculture industry.Some of the regulations were outdated. And from across the province, different areas had different issues with fusarium. They were trying to manage it according to their local areas, but it was more of a regional problem, Tom Coppock, president of the Alberta Seed Processors, says.Attention has quickly shifted from changing the regulation to focusing on management strategies for fusarium in the province, along with planning future opportunities for research and crop varieties. For me, theres no one size fits all for managing Fusarium graminearum or any other disease, Trent Whiting, SeCans Alberta and British Columbia marketing rep says. Youve got to take the time to look at your rotations and then hopefully with good management, variety selection, spraying when you need to and cooperation from Mother Nature, you come up with a plan to move forward for managing this disease.Legalization Fusarium graminearum was placed under the Pest and Nuisance Control Regulation by the provincial government after it was brought into southern Alberta in the late 1990s on plant material from outside the province. It was meant as a way to fight back and try to curtail the spread throughout Alberta. As time went on, we were finding that fusarium was noA Spornado system in a field. The Spornado catches spores in the air which can longer confined to southern Alberta. It had moved in on its ownthen be tested for traces of fusarium. accord from Saskatchewan, Ward Oatway, past president of thePHOTOS: 20/20 SEED LABSAlberta Seed Growers, says. Its been slowly creeping westward from there. The industry joined together to form an industry working In the seed industry, growers were finding themselvesgroup and started advocating for the government to change with fusarium infected seed which they werent allowed tothe regulation. At times they would get close to having the sell, unlike their counterparts in Manitoba and Saskatchewan,restrictions modified but then an election would be called, who were allowed small percentages on seed. If even a traceand the new government would either not want to touch a of fusarium was found, growers were forced to either exportregulatory amendment or the process would have to all over the seed to Saskatchewan or Manitoba, sell the seed lot asagain. Finally, on June 3, Alberta Minister of Agriculture and commercial grain and losing the seed premium, or even destroyForestry Devin Dreeshen signed a ministerial order removing it. Even when seed could be heat treated to remove the risk ofFusarium graminearum from the Pest and Nuisance Control spreading the fusarium, it was still not legal to sell in Alberta. Regulations. 10seed.ab.ca'