Want to scare a cereal grain farmer? Say, “fusarium head blight.” The fungal disease, often shortened to FHB, is among the most destructive cereal diseases, resulting in billions of dollars in annual crop damage worldwide. FHB infection may cause the heads of cereal plants to appear bleached, or turn white, and could contaminate the grain with a toxin called deoxynivalenol, or DON. DON is toxic to humans and livestock when eaten. As the disease develops, its spores can spread easily during rain events to infect other cereal plants. By the time this happens, it’s much too late for farmers to manage the disease.
What also makes FHB so hard to control for farmers is that the disease can lie dormant, causing infection later in the season. This disease can also develop without any obvious symptoms, only revealing the infection when harvested grain is tested for toxins. Farmers may believe their crops are free from FHB, yet if toxin levels exceed Canadian Food Inspection Agency guidelines, the grain might be deemed unsuitable for both human and animal consumption.
Given what we know about FHB, it’s no surprise farmers and research scientists take it very seriously. Prince Edward Island-based Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada research scientist Dr. Adam Foster dedicates much of his time to finding ways to control and reduce FHB diseases in Maritime farmers’ cereal crops. The warm and humid summer weather in the Maritimes makes it among the worst regions for developing FHB in Canada. Dr. Foster believes that the severity of FHB could increase with climate change, as warmer temperatures at night become more frequent in the Maritimes.
Like many things in farming, it’s all about timing. With weather being a major factor in causing this disease in cereal crops, it’s essential that farmers can predict if local environmental conditions are favourable for developing FHB and then apply control treatments before they can see it. Once farmers see infection in their crops, it’s too late.
Risky business
With more farmers in the Maritimes growing cereal crops than ever, Dr. Foster wanted to help them add another valuable FHB control tool into their toolbox: forecasting.
“Unlike their colleagues in other parts of Canada, Maritime farmers haven’t had access to the same FHB forecasting tools, and that increase in disease risk causing crop loss puts them at a competitive disadvantage compared to other regions. We set out to level the field with a risk forecasting tool designed specifically for Maritime farmers.”
- Dr. Adam Foster, research scientist, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
The forecasting model, developed by Dr. Foster in collaboration with Master’s student Emily Johnstone, with support from Atlantic Grains Council and Maritime producers, is simple. They compiled data from weather stations across New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island dating back to 2010, as well as local FHB disease data. With this information, they found the models that work best to predict the risk of FHB based on temperature and relative humidity from the previous seven days. Finally, they incorporated these models into an easy-to-use forecasting web tool. Farmers can select the crop they are growing, the province or region in which they are located, and the date their crops are nearing the flowering stage to find out if fungicides should be applied for FHB management.
The web tool, now available on the Atlantic Grains Council website, allows farmers to follow the risk of FHB developing based on crop, province or region and weather. The tool gives them valuable information on whether to apply control treatments (medium or high risk) or not to apply treatments (low risk). Just a few minutes using this webtool each day will not only help cereal crops stay healthy and plentiful, but it could also help reduce fungicide-use resulting in benefits to the environment, as well as reducing input costs and development of fungicide-resistance from over-treating crops.
“With the increased acres of grain being sowed in the Martimes, it is important that producers have all the tools to get the most profit out of their crop, including the quality of the commodity. The recent development of the fusarium head blight tool will provide our producers the ability to do so. The weather is so volatile this also allows producers to be better prepared with fungicide treatments, if warranted,” says Roy Culberson, Chairman of the Atlantic Grains Council.
Leveling the competition
“A lot of farmers were asking when this tool would be launched so I’m happy to see the excitement around it. This web tool isn’t just good for farmers, it’s a good tool for agrologists and provincial extension specialists.”
- Dr. Adam Foster, research scientist, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Nothing is as unpredictable as the weather, so Dr. Foster, his team, and the Atlantic Grains Council are continuing to refine the web tool by incorporating the latest models and adding high-resolution rainfall data to improve its accuracy. Dr. Foster will also incorporate feedback he and his team receive from farmers about the webtool.
In agriculture, competition is fierce for good data and forecasting models. But given the aggressiveness of the FHB disease, Dr. Foster delivers an openly available web tool which benefits farmers in the Maritimes and will be available soon for others across the country as well.
Key discoveries and benefits
- With weather being a major factor in causing this disease in cereal crops, it’s essential that farmers can predict if local environmental conditions are favourable for developing FHB and then apply control treatments before they can see it.
- AAFC research scientist Dr. Adam Foster and his team compiled data from weather stations across the Maritimes dating back to 2010. With this data, they identified a formula to calculate the risk of FHB based on past temperature and relative humidity. Finally, they placed that formula into an easy-to-use web tool based on Atlantic Grains Council and farmer recommendations. Farmers can select the crop they are growing, the province or region in which they are located, and the date their crops are nearing the flowering stage to find out if fungicides should be applied for FHB management.
- The web tool, now available on the Atlantic Grains Council website, allows farmers to follow the risk of FHB developing based on weather. The tool gives them valuable information on whether to apply control treatments (high or moderate risk) or not to apply treatments (low risk).
- Using the web tool will help cereal crops stay healthy and plentiful and also help reduce fungicide-use resulting in benefits to the environment, as well as reducing input costs and development of fungicide-resistance from over-treating crops.
Photo gallery
Related information
- AAFC Profile – Dr. Adam Foster
- Atlantic Grains Council – FHB Risk Forecast Tool