Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84 Page 85 Page 86 Page 87 Page 88 Page 89 Page 90 Page 91 Page 92 Page 93 Page 94 Page 95 Page 96 Page 97 Page 98 Page 99 Page 100 Page 101 Page 102 Page 103 Page 104 Page 105 Page 106 Page 107 Page 108 Page 109 Page 110 Page 111 Page 11223 Advancing Seed in Alberta | spring.2017 tinue to manage the spread of the disease through harvest. For example, downgrad- ing may be avoided if they increase their wind speed on the combine to blow out as many of the lighter Fusarium damaged kernels as possible so they don’t end up in the harvested grain. They should also be careful to control volunteers heading into the winter. Mapping Out Disease Risk On top of developing a set of manage- ment practices, several provincial organi- zations have been working to create a Fusarium risk map based on the model used in the other Prairie Provinces. “Manitoba has had risk maps for probably 15 years, and Saskatchewan launched theirs three years ago,” says Kennedy. “These maps have proven to be a very useful tool for growers. This year they were widely utilized on social media. In this province, we want to capitalize on that success and come up with a FHB risk map for Alberta.” The risk maps are weather-based, examining climactic conditions on a regional and local basis. With 400 weather stations in Alberta, growers will be able to get a fairly accurate representa- tion of what they can expect in their fields. “Our intention is to launch a mobile friendly website that growers can use while out in their field in real time condi- tions,” says Kennedy. “The grower will log in with their GPS location and will receive information from the three closest weather stations. They’ll then receive a risk rating – from low, to moderate or high. It’s a very localized early warning system.” Kennedy says they have taken the model used by Manitoba and are adapt- ing it for the growing conditions in Alberta. “This is another tool on top of BMPs and fungicides to help minimize risk,” he says. “It will take a few years to validate that model in Alberta, but we hope to include data from the past couple of years to launch the pilot map in time for the summer 2017 growing season.” What’s next for Fusarium man- agement? Kennedy says until Fusarium is eradicated, growers will have to look at ways at protecting themselves financially when they have FHB in their crop. The Alberta Wheat Commission has recently asked the Canadian Grain Commission to look at using grain testing instead of visual testing to identify levels of DON in a crop. This would limit the instances where wheat is being downgraded to feed after visual testing, when it is actually accept- able quality for the international milling market. Looking forward, Kennedy says a recent report of a Fusarium-tolerant hybrid wheat variety is very exciting for the future management of the disease. But he cautions this is very early research, and even if successful wouldn’t likely be available for another 20 years. “Plant breeders are working hard to develop varieties that are tolerant to Fusarium – it’s a very high priority for their research,” he says. “But until then, growers need to be on top of managing for the disease. The development of best management practices and tools like the risk map will help them mitigate the problem.” Jennifer Barber A SUCCESSFUL GROWING SEASON starts with selecting the best seeds. With ever changing pests, weeds and climate conditions, make a sound decision and partner with a company that invests in agronomic research and technology. As farmers, we understand the soil and conditions you face for corn and soybean seeds. That’s why we develop traits to deliver high yields and exceptional profit potential. First in the Field S O U N D A G R O N O M Y T O B E 1-888-6THUNDER www.thunderseed.ca A SUCCESSFUL GROWING SEASON starts with selecting the best seeds. With ever changing pests, weeds and climate conditions, make a sound As farmers, we understand the soil and conditions you face for corn and soybean seeds. That’s why we develop traits to deliver high yields and exceptional profit potential. 1-888-6THUNDER