Wheat growers are being warned to watch out for fusarium in their crop.
The Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission advises farmers that fusarium grows on wheat and barley in hot and humid conditions.
Sask Wheat spokesperson Dallas Carpenter said there are several different types of fusarium.
“The one the causes the most problem is fusarium graminearum, that’s the one that causes the greatest amount of problems usually for cereal producers in the province and that’s the one that usually producers apply fungicide for and usually on the outlook for.”
Today’s FHB map shows moderate risk in the northwest and in a small patch west of Arcola in the southeast.
The daily Sask Wheat FHB risk maps can be found here: https://t.co/YRNolLMTTm
Please go to https://t.co/TfgfULUvuj for more FHB management resources. #SaskAg #WestCdnAg pic.twitter.com/NaYbQNlPCJ
— Sask Wheat (@SaskWheat) July 4, 2019
Carpenter said if you see fusarium on your crop, it’s too late.
“What you’re looking for really are the right conditions, so if your wheat crop is heading and it’s hot and sticky out, and the humidity is high, and the dew point is high, then that’s the time to consider if it’s time to perhaps apply a fungicide.”
Carpenter said the window to apply fungicide is rather small.
“Because of the late start, and because the conditions were so dry, everything is kind of all over the map here so everything is a little bit funny this year and crops are a little bit short,” Carpenter said. “Producers are considering the yield potential of their crops, and whether it’s worth it to apply a fungicide at all.”
Sask wheat is posting daily maps of fungicide risk on their twitter and website.
