b'Zuzak believes as a result of the wetTurkington points out challenging conditions at seeding and weather, many growers who consultedearly in the growing season delayed planting in many parts of Fusarium risk maps in the summerAlberta, which in turn has led to later harvests. Because of that, would have seen a very high risk levelits likely the FHB picture wont be fully revealed until early 2020. during the peak flowering period whenZuzak says the FHB situation is definitely something cereal cereal crops were most vulnerable togrowers should take note of as they plan for the 2020 growing FHB infection.season. Seed testing is the No. 1 line of defense, she emphasizes.The ability to access such maps isGrowers should test what theyve pulled off the field, so they largely a result of new technologieshave a better idea of whats out there. Fusarium is a declared like the Fusarium Head Blight Riskpest under the Alberta Agriculture Pest Act. Tool developed by the Alberta WheatYou want to use healthy seed with no detectable levels of Commission and Alberta Agriculture andFusarium, so you dont introduce the pathogen to an area. Seed Forestry. It can be used on computershealth reports can really help you know the full range of fungus and mobile devices so farmers canpresentnot just FHB, but a general seed health report is a remotely view updates on Fusariumgreat thing to have done.disease severity for their location.It provides real-time results including precipitation, temperature and humidity to help assess risk and can be used to determine the need and timing ofWith Fusarium, in terms fungicide application.Fusarium is unique in that it is weatherof pathology, we need a dependent and can vary from year topathogen in sufficient quantity, year. With diseases like clubroot you can make maps and once its there, you knowa susceptible host like a cereal its there for a good chunk of history.or corn. If we see another Fusarium can show up or be dormant, depending on the weather conditions inwet year in 2020, theres any given year, Zuzak says. a better chance of more With Fusarium, in terms of pathology, we need a pathogen in sufficientinfection and higher risk.quantity, a susceptible host like a cereal Krista Zuzakor corn. If we see another wet year in 2020, theres a better chance of more infection and higher risk.Furthermore, wet years that are followed by a dry year can reduce howTrevor Blois, disease diagnostician supervisor for 20/20 Seed much Fusarium rears its ugly head,Labs, says in the fight against Fusarium head blight, a DNA test despite the pathogen being present incan be helpful. the field.In cereals, FHB can be caused by four different Fusarium In that case, it might not manifest itselfspecies. The DNA test specifically detects F. graminearum.and wont infect the grain, Zuzak adds. In 2019, we saw the second-highest number of positive test Because it was generally much drierresults for FHB since 2016. Fifteen per cent of samples are in southern Alberta, the FHB risk wastesting positive in Alberta across all crop types. Were really lower there, says Turkington. However,seeing an increase in FHB in wheat and barley. This correlates disease could have developed in thosewith where we are seeing the Fusarium being distributed in the instances where too much irrigationprovince, Blois says.water may have been applied, resultingThe DNA test analyzes 400 to 600 seeds, compared to 200 in downgrading of crops, he says. seeds for conventional culture plate testing. When a plate test Spring 2020 29'