It would be easy for Alberta to become complacent about fusarium head
blight.
The disease exists only in low levels in the province.
Tests of grain entering Alberta during the past nine months found only
seven samples with Fusarium graminearum and the levels of
infection were extremely low.
But Curtis Weeks suggests it would be folly to think Fusarium
graminearum, the strain that has been so devastating for Manitoba, will
not become a menace in Alberta.
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“There is certainly risk there,” said Weeks, a cereal and oilseed
specialist with Alberta Agriculture.
“We’re trying to educate farmers about that risk and let them evaluate
it for themselves.”
Contrary to what people may think, Alberta’s soil and moisture
conditions are not much different from those in areas of Saskatchewan
and Manitoba where fusarium has become a problem, Weeks said.
One of the exceptions would be Manitoba’s Red River Valley.
Alberta has already listed
F. graminearum as a pest, and it supports the voluntary testing of
grain produced in the province for feed or seed.
This winter, meetings were held across Alberta to inform producers
about the risk.
The province now is considering other measures that might be needed to
keep the disease at bay.
There is some discussion about whether testing grain imports to Alberta
– both feed and seed – should be mandatory. Weeks said no decisions
have been made yet.
The Alberta branch of the Canadian Seed Growers Association supports
mandatory testing.
Branch president Mark Kaun said one of his concerns is the impact
fusarium could have on the malting and seed industries
in Alberta.
He also cautioned that cattle feeders in Alberta must take the fusarium
threat seriously.
“I hope they look at both sides of the picture so they’re not shooting
themselves in the foot.
“If we take barley out of the Alberta picture we’re in trouble.”
Weeks said part of the hope in Alberta is to keep fusarium head blight
at low levels until better ways to manage the disease are found,
including the development of more resistant cereal crop
varieties.
That was the strategy the province adopted with virulent blackleg in
canola and the strategy worked.
“We were spared the losses that other provinces had until better
varieties were out,” said Weeks.
