Fusarium

[zeefarmer]

Planning on doing an application of Carumba on durum. Is it better to be a little early or slightly late? Heads are just emerging. It's either go now or pray we can go in a week. Forecast is for 3-4" and we're sopping wet already.

[JDGreen]

Go now. Window is so too tight with the upcoming weather event I pray doesn't materialize. Fling mud everywhere today and tommorow or forget it.

[Oliver88]

Better early than causing ruts and getting stuck on late side.

[farmaholic]

Sickening feeling knowing we probably won't be able to overcome the disease pressure....even after the monies spent!!!!

Can't even apply for fusarium more than once (unless emergence was staggered) with the narrow app window....beat before you start. Get your mind ready for quality issues.....seems inevitable here.

REALISTIC NOT PESSIMISTIC AND NEGATIVE.

Good luck for those who might need it.

[zeefarmer]

Not expecting a 1 anymore given the weather. My goal every year is the best grade or a better grade than the area for the year. But one sure can see a difference between lentils with and without fungicide already.

[farmaholic]

Not expecting a 1 anymore given the weather. My goal every year is the best grade or a better grade than the area for the year. But one sure can see a difference between lentils with and without fungicide already.

I'm hoping I don't grow commercial salvage again....looking into higher rates of Prosarro and Prozac. Haha

[freewheat]

I must be living under a rock. I have never sprayed for fusarium in my life. I have never had a grade reduction because of fusarium.

I think something else may be at stake here? I dunno what it is for sure, but I have theories.

[farmaholic]

Lets hear them freewheat.

[Ache4Acres]

Lets hear them freewheat.

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

[freewheat]

Lets hear them freewheat.

Honestly, I am kind of shy to share out loud. Most probably think it is quackery. It for sure would sound like hobby! lol

But seriously, it has to do with rotation, seed treatments, how much you spray all kinds of other things, etc. The only common, unproven link I can think of, is how little I worry about spraying various things for "looks", or because Joe down the road did. How infrequently the same crop gets grown on the same land, etc.. IE. you can over baby sit a crop, and my theory includes actually doing more harm than good, to the soil dynamics, to the crop itself... Guys coddle the crop too much these days. Let the crop do it's thing on its own already.

Not that my ideas matter, I am small peanuts in an ocean of honking huge walnuts, but whatever.

Could certainly expound if you wish. I honestly have never had a fusarium issue whatsoever. Never treat seed, never spray for it. There is something going on, IMO. I seeded cheap, untreated, op canola seed, and have had the best emergence, the nicest initial stand I have had in many, many years. (bloody rain has fixed that a bit now!) Far, far better than my last 19 years of growing hybrids. Coincidence? Perhaps, but how can it be? Are fungicides killing off beneficial soil bugs? Are they killing off flea beetle pathogens? Cutworm enemies? Nobody knows, and nobody cares! lol They just say spray, treat, spray again, ligno humate this, alpine that, if it hails give er some more crap to help it recover, and we almost all listen. Planes buzzing around like it is a war zone. Suppressing disease, sure I guess. But what else are they killing? Does anybody give a rip? Nope, it is a yield fest competition, like ancient Roman orgies, heck with the money involved. Make the crop look pretty, and weaken it from it's own self defense.

Kinda ridiculous ideas, I know. Call me loopy, but I think my theory may have some merit. No one studies what happens with thirty seven applications a year of all this crap we throw on there these days.

That, in part my friends, is my theory. Blow it out of the water. I can not prove it is on target, but no one can prove it is not. When it is not so wet, I should certainly not be growing as good of crops as I can and do. Cuz I do not come anywhere close to the babysitting that most do these days.

PS. I am NOT a bleeding tree hugger, so don't even go there. But fungicides kill fungus, no? There are good fungi, no? Beneficial insects, no?

[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.