Crop disease ... Getting outa hand ?

[farmaholic]

Furrow. ..re: durum seeded into pasture breaking. I believe there are lots of non "crop" plant species that can "host" the diseases that ravage our crops. Then we do what Grassfarmer calls "monoculture" and everything in the field.is susceptible! If all sides of the disease triangle are present, innoculum and susceptible host and the right environmental conditions...bang- you have a problem. Also take into consideration spores can move with the wind....how far? I don't know but none of us farm on an island.

[furrowtickler]

Ya I understand that , but just seems like an onslaught of every disease the past few years . I just feel something else is causing it to be far worse than it is or should be .

[ajl]

The combination of grossly erratic weather, rising disease levels, increasing competition from the black sea, along with greater input supplier concentration at home all adds up to sell before the suckers are out of cash. The only thing that is keeping Canadian farmland values supported is the prospect of another cut in interest rates along with the dollar dropping to $0.50 US which could happen.

[jwab]

I realize it is most likely due to the increased moisture across the prairies for quite some time now but is it possible rising disease levels have anything to do with rising fungicide use?

[biglentil]

Latest study on grainews says yes more diseased kernels with early and repeated fungicide. Would you give a young child a good dose of antibiotics as a precautionary measure? There is evidence that suggests vaccinated mothers do not pass on their natural immunity to new borns like unvaccinated mothers do. Its very possible that we are damaging future generations of seeds immunity. Haven't sprayed my Glenn wheat seed with any fungi or used seed treat in 10 years and virtually 0 fuz in all those years. 2 or better grade every single year.

[Jay-mo]

Here in southern Mb, the first time we got wiped out by FHB was back in the early 90's. No glyphosate used on our farm at that time.

[furrowtickler]

Thx for the replies - interesting
Biglentil, what is your rotation and fertility, if you don't mind me asking ?
Also were you just wet this year , or a few years ?
Some were dry last year and are saturated bad this year .

[SASKFARMER3]

Curious on the seed treatment as we never use to use one and now its on everything. Also we have dropped a fungicide with the in crop spray and go just with head or flag now.

[biglentil]

Thx for the replies - interesting
Biglentil, what is your rotation and fertility, if you don't mind me asking ?
Also were you just wet this year , or a few years ?
Some were dry last year and are saturated bad this year .

Glenn, Lentil, Glenn, Yellow Mustard rotation on that ground its a bit lighter so I don't shoot for the moon. 75-30-0-0 groceries '14 and this year wet like most on Glenn years.

[Klause]

No conventional seed treatment. No fungicide. Hauling #1 wheat into the elevator.


Cost of product half that of most guys and good quality... Hmmmm....


A certain company has a heck of a game going in pulses. Sell you a hericide that is known to cause plant damage (yellowing), allowing infection, and then selling you fungicides to "fix" the prolem they caused.


Or, just use different chems, no fungicide and have more yield with 0 diesease.


This may yet come out... U of S doing studies... they were out soil sampling here and tissue testing this summer on our fields.


Now to go take a 550HP tractor and pull my semi out, so we can empty another vin of wheat and fill it with wet canola and dry it down.

I don't think hell is any worse than what we're dealing with now.