May 26, 2008

Ridgetown Campus researcher and fusarium guru, Dr. Art Schaafsma, is concerned about the Ontario wheat crop. “I have been watching the March, April and May weather records and I have seen more blackened corn stalks out there than ever before…spooky like 1996”, reported Dr. Schaafsma.

"The significance is these blackened corn stalks are full of overwintering fungal bodies that release spores which are blown across fields potentially causing Fusarium Head Blight in wheat," he continued.

Dr. Schaafsma pointed out that the amount of initial disease or spores is only part of the story. The weather conditions around the time of wheat heading and flowering are the most critical to whether or not these spores are able to infect the crop and cause disease. Losses show up at harvest in reduced yield, plus grain contaminated with potentially unacceptable toxin levels, resulting in lost marketing opportunities.

Dr. Schaafsma points out that growers should sign up for Site-Specific DONcast at www.weatherinnovations.com. He is recommending producers enter a few important agronomic characteristics such as wheat variety, crop rotation history and tillage practices which should pay off in a quick verification of the potential toxin levels (also referred to as DON levels) in wheat fields this year.

He says this is a free service sponsored by the Ontario Wheat Producers Marketing Board and Bayer Crop Science. "This is definitely a year to be prepared by using the tools available. Growers should not leave plans to order and apply Fusarium fungicides to the last minute. Heading will start within a week or two depending where you are in Ontario. The acreage of wheat, the demand for these products and the demand for application equipment will be at its highest ever," concludes Schaafsma.