Fusarium

[Braveheart]

Freewheat, your ideas have no merit and you are loopy. If you don't have fusarium it's because the spores haven't found their path to your area.

There is someone in this area that farms with no seed treatments, doesn't spray at all (organic), no fert of course, even though he could use Lignohumate as liquified composted tea leaves would qualify organic. Guess what? He can't grow cereals because it gets LOADED with fusarium. He of course blames everyone else in the area because we don't burn our stubble and mouldboard plow to destroy and bury fungal bodies. Plain and simple, despite his MSc in Agriculture, he's nuts. You can't plow the ditch and yes, even grass is a host for fusarium. In fact, fossilized fusarium bodies have been found here so it's been around for awhile.

The other thing that's been around for awhile are those that like to vilify modern farm technology. The very technology that despite it's cost to purchase has put so much wealth on farms worldwide the value can't be calculated.

This doesn't take away from your decision to approach production from the low input side. I've done such myself when times are tough, and when it dictates to lower your risk by exposing less money, do it. However, you are lucky fusarium hasn't reached you. That's it. Enjoy it while you can.

[freewheat]

you are lucky fusarium hasn't reached you. [/U] That's it. Enjoy it while you can.

The thing is, I am high input elsewhere, and do well, ( at least when it is dryer! lol). The main thing though, is that my neighbors DO have fusarium issues, or so they say. So I must be REAL loopy.

Hence my concern to share my ideas of rotation etc.. I dunno, I am good with loopy.

[agchat]

There is a good article i found, wish it was handy. It found that spraying 5 days too early gave about a 70% effect of the fungicide but 5 days past optimum was down to 20% efficacy

This is why I almost refuse to spray. Nobody knows the right thing to do. Everyone has different answers. Have about eighty acres of wheat on wheat. It is just starting to head and I was maybe going to waste some money and spray. Phoned a very reliable CPS crop person this morning and he told me just opposite. Chem rep told him the other day that it is much better to spray on later window than jumping the gun. Thanks Ache4Acres you just saved me some money. Until they can get there shit together on this fusarium bullshit, the money will stay in my pocket.

[farmaholic]

Regarding Pesticides...
I still have weeds
I still have insects
I still have disease

I am never eradicated the pests so I am assuming I won't wipe out the beneficial organisms either.

I told my Dad today that we are going to need some help from Mother Nature with the fusarium. Chemical "suppression" isn't going to be enough.

When the pathogens are present, environmental conditions are conducive to disease and there is a host crop(the disease triangle), what would you expect? But for some people the pressure will be too great to overcome....there will be problems.

Year after year we put out the smorgasbord... if conditions are right---bang!!! That being said I don't believe in chem or summerfallow....soil never developed not growing anything. Look at the soil zones and organic matter within them to see where vegetation has been the most prolific in the past.

I don't have the answer either, just some hillbilly observations.



GO RIDERS>>>

[Daylate]

Im guessing the none believers don't grow durum and don't know the difference 2% can make in grade let alone yield. have seen it year over year for 8 years now. easiest money I ever spend.

[RTK]

Freewheat - I honestly think there is a lot of merit in what you are saying. I fairly intensely look after my crops but I am always trying to manage expenses. I am glad you put your theory out there - I remember midge out breaks in the past; the under belly of the planes were orange now guys find one or two on a pie plate and we spray killing everything good or bad in the field. Fungicides - in my part of the province it was never heard of now it is common practise - granted we are wet, perhaps too wet. With canola this year I decided to target my fields better and tested several locations for sclerotinia. In the end if the test results are accurate I will have saved 30% on that fungicide bill; if I am wrong it will cost me dearly. When I was a smaller operation I was more field by field now I am stretched too thin and blanket applications are happening and this is needlessly eating into what could be profit. If I can operate at this size on a field by field management I think I can better position my farm for the future. My wife who is a plant science major has been telling me to scout and think before I spray - my reply is I had a quick look. She actually scouted a few fields for me and saved me $3-4/ac on the those acres by steering me to a different herbicide. I wish she had time to act as my agrologist full time. But with kids and her job just not possible right now.

[grassfarmer]

I told my Dad today that we are going to need some help from Mother Nature with the fusarium.

Why would Mother Nature want to help you out? I think the loopy ones are the folks that don't realise that almost all their problems come because you are fighting mother nature in a battle you can't win. Everything in nature needs diversity to ensure survival. You want flat square fields with no trees, bushes, cattails or water bodies to grow mono-culture crops with not a plant or weed of another species allowed to grow in "your crop."
The complexity of diversity is astounding if you let it flourish - plants that bring benefits to fellow plants, weeds or plants that attract beneficial insects that can control some of your "problem" aphids etc. A healthy insect population ensures plenty of feed for small birds but small birds don't like wide open spaces with no trees - it's all interconnected. Any time you are applying poison you can be sure you are simplifying the community by reducing the species and ensuring you will have further (and bigger) problems down the road because you are upsetting the balance of nature.
No different in my world - would be dandy to have all the cows calve in a 3 week cycle, have a uniform calf crop for shape and size. Nature doesn't work that way, nor do genetics - everything is done to ensure survival of species and survival of diversity. Freewheat is on to something and he obviously has lots of diversity - the landscape and bush, the wildlife he has, the diverse livestock on his farm. I think he is an astute observer of nature and that lets him see outside the box most in commodity agriculture are trapped in.

[farmaholic]

One day I hope your calving season is plaqued with cold and wet pneumonia and scour prone weather and then you may realize a little help from Mother Nature would sure be appreciated. although I think you already realize it but since you seem to dislike what you like to call monoculture agriculture, seems you don't like it when we realize a little help from Mother Nature would go a long way for us too!!!!

We are all at Her mercy, realizing it is accepting the fact.

Good luck(there will be a day you need it) and happy ranching.

[Rareearth]

Actually when it comes to Mother Nature, bio diversity, etc its dog eat dog survival of the fittest.

Our farm and most others won't survive if we have to wait for plagues, and then bio diversity to solve natures challenges.

[biglentil]

For only 6 bushel an acre grab some prosaro and hope to hell it does something for the fus.