Fungicide timing to mitigate Fusarium head blight in cereal crops and temperature effects on chemotypes??

AWC contribution: $60,000

Start date: April 1, 2021

End date: January 15, 2024

Randy Kutcher, University of Saskatchewan

Summary:

Fusarium head blight (FHB), is the most serious disease affecting bread and durum wheat across Canada. The disease was contained to the southeast portion of the province during the 1990s and much of the 2000s, but in recent years, the disease has become prevalent in all wheat-growing areas of Saskatchewan. It causes yield and quality loss in all market classes of wheat, as well as in barley, oats, and canary seed. An integrated disease management approach is suggested by pathologists for efficient management of FHB, because no single control strategy provides complete control (Gilbert and Haber 2013). Amongst the strategies employed by growers for disease management, the most important are: selection of wheat varieties with the best genetic resistance available, use of cultural control practices (crop rotation with other non-host crops, and practices that increase residue decomposition), and under high-risk conditions, fungicide application at flowering/anthesis. The goals of the project are to:

1. Effect of fungicide timing on Fusarium head blight (FHB) in winter wheat, spring wheat, durum wheat, and barley.

2. Effect of temperature in relation to distribution and production of 3ADON, 15ADON, NIV, and NX-2 chemotypes of F. graminearum.