18 Story Idea? Email Paul.Nolan@Farms.com Better Farming | May/June 2024 PREVENTING FHB INFECTION Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a fungal disease that affects cereal crops across the Prairies, risking crop damage, lower yields, and reduced quality. The Manitoba Crop Variety Evaluation Team (MCVET) and Manitoba Crop Alliance are working to improve the data available to farmers for selection of FHB-resistant varieties through post-registration analysis. Anne Kirk, cereal specialist with Manitoba Agriculture and member of the Manitoba Crop Variety Evaluation Team, says that there are a number of ways to prevent FHB infection, but selection of resistant varieties is becoming more popular. “Varieties get rated for resistance during the registration process,” says Kirk. “In this process they use inoculated nurseries and assess the reaction of the variety to Fusarium head blight. It’s a Priority 1 disease and there are certain standards varieties should meet to be registered. Farmers want more resistance.” She explains that post-registration analysis takes this measurement one step further. “We are looking at conditions under natural infections and under natural growing conditions, so no inoculation and no fungicide. The Manitoba Crop Variety Evaluation Team looks at a number of newly registered varieties or those recommended to be registered in wheat, oats, barley, fall rye, winter wheat, peas, and flax. We observe them over a three-year period.” With funding from Manitoba Crop Alliance, MCVET has been conducting post-registration analysis for FHB resistance on spring wheat since 2009 and brought barley and winter wheat into the study more recently. There are a few indicators that MCVET uses to assess the resistance of the varieties they are testing. “For crop susceptibility in wheat and barley, we are looking at the level of FHB infection and watching for DON and Fusarium damaged kernels to see how the tested varieties react during natural infection.” Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a mycotoxin produced by FHB which can be harmful to livestock in higher levels, reducing the value of the grain as a feed. Currently to detect DON, samAnne Kirk photo POST-REGISTRATION ASSESSMENT OF FHB IN CEREALS IMPROVES VARIETY SELECTION. USE DATA TO SELECT FOR FUSARIUM HEAD BLIGHT RESISTANCE By EMILY CROFT
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