b'Trent Whiting agrees. As SeCans marketing representative for Alberta and British Columbia, he says in an email that fusarium control has always been about best management practices and Mother Nature. For that reason, he says hes not sure regulation was ever necessary. Whether part of a regulation or not, the responsibility is always on the farmer to decide whats best for them to do.Those working in industries such as malting know fusarium is present and an economic concern in many areas of the province.We know the disease is present and of economic concern in many areas of the province. With proper procedures and education of the industry, we hopefully can keep the disease under control, Lorne Campbell, agronomist at Rahr Malting Company, adds in an email interview.Best Management PracticesIts no secret farmers want the best return on investment possible for their crop, which includes a combination of agronomics, yield, grade, and quality.Weve finally got varieties that provide them all together into multiple varieties, says Whiting. Breeding for better (fusarium) resistance started decades ago, but it takes a long time to breed soLorne Campbell, agronomist at Rahr Malting Companyimprovements have been slow and steady. Every breeders goal is (fusarium) resistance but combining that with everything else that a farmer wants in a variety is very difficult, but they continue to work at it.Market access is paramount to the entire crop value chain, Klaas adds. Citing there have been cases of international customers using a perceived pest/pathogen infestation to mandate a moratorium on Canadian grain importsthese are called non-tariff trade barriers.Careful stewardship of any contaminants that cause real or perceived harm to quality is of paramount importance to protect buyer confidence domestically as well as internationally, she says.To help combat this, Klaas says there are three key factors to protect market access. These include: Surveillance and weather modelling tools to predict fusarium head blight (FHB) risk - provincial surveillance programs which include both seed infection and field surveys that help to retain Albertas low-fusarium status. This, coupled with weather forecasting, helps farmers make integrated pest management decisions for foliar spray applications.Research investment - plant breeding and traditional and novel crop protection to protect against fusarium. Communications - collaboration between farmers, provincial and municipal governments, agronomists, the research community, academia, the grain trade, and the seed industry on fusariumKarin Schmid, beef production and extension lead for Alberta Beef Producersmanagement.Fall 2023 27'