fusarium

[newguy]

When walking across flax stubble that was durum last year some durum heads that were pink.I seed with 3 quarter inch openers and do not disturb much dirt.would fusarium still be thriving even though this year's crop never had much at all.?

[farmaholic]

Sad to say, but I think if you have it, its there for good. Just need the right conditions and bingo... Ask the Manitoba guys, we've only had it bad in the last while. Before that it wasn't an issue here(S.E. of Regina about 50kms). I think we even saw it(orange-ish growth) on a flax boll. Should have kept it for closer inspection.

[biglentil]

Maybe why flax yielded better on canola stubble.

[tweety]

Jeepers BigLentil, you just won't let that go lol!!!

Which fusarium was it?
F. avenaceum
F. bubigeum
F. culmorum
F. graminearum
F. langsethiae
F. oxysporum
F. poae
F. sporotrichioides
F. tricinctum
F. verticillioides
or
F. virguliforme

[farmaholic]

Tweety, It was the orange one I saw. ;-)

[newguy]

So would it be better to use 3 inch openers? Turn over more dirt.Reduce some carry over trash.I use atom jet side band.

[Braveheart]

Newguy, there are all kinds of theories as to what works. We're in MB in a high fusarium area. For the most part we are no till. Our fuzz levels are as low or lower than anyone's. Our approach is rotation, variety selection and fungicide use.

The problem with trying to bury residue is, you won't bury it all and there is no doubt your neighbours have it and won't bury it all. If you get conducive weather spore showers will occur to infect regardless of tillage.

[farmaholic]

Maybe SF3's 'scorched earth' policy is the best way to reduce innoculum?

I cringe thinking about that for our farm. High spots need all the trash they can get to rebuild soil, yet low spots have more than they need and that is where the problems start. Am I thinking vertical tillage may not bury it deep enough to eliminate the risk either. Does the sun degrade the innoculum?

[Braveheart]

Sun won't degrade the innoculum. Sun may make it worse. Fungi thrive in warm, moist conditions so high humidity and warm is what the fusarium loves.

Scorched earth approach is not what I'd like to see and fusarium would/could also be on the grasses in unburnable areas.

[biglentil]

broadcast copper sulphate

[SASKFARMER3]

Make it black works.
Fuzz loves moisture and rain and mud.
Hot dry and sunny. And black keep it hot inside.
Get a good spray program.

[newguy]

So if durum was seeded every 3 years.3 inch openers on a 10 inch spacing drill would for sure reduce fusarium???? Love the organic matter I have been building but so does the fusarium.

[Braveheart]

I would have to say that what you're proposing wouldn't necessarily reduce fusarium. You might want to stick with the openers you already have and like.

Are there any varieties of durum with at least an mr rating for fusarium?

[sumdumguy]

There's got to be a way to beat that fusarium cheaply. We might have to experiment on our own.

[Braveheart]

When I was involved with Pesticide Free Production, one thing that our research showed was effective was under seeding the crop to vetch or clover. If a thick under story developed it acted like a net that caught the fusarium spores keeping them from infecting the head. Martin Entz had some surprisingly good results from this.