Line Up Seed Supplies Early/AB. Fusarium Graminearum Policy

[charliep]

Already raised by Max in the crops and forage area but I will highlight here as well.

Given this years lousy crop, seed supplies for next spring will be tight. This would suggest getting your seed supplies lined up early (particularly if you are very variety specific). That to me is before Christmas.

In doing this, I would highlight Alberta's fusarium graminearum policy on seed - zero tolerance. All seed for planting that is being brought in from out of province has to be tested and have a certicate indicating it is free of this pathogen. This certificate should be made available from registered and certified seed so request it taking note of the the breeders name and location where it is grown. Opening a bag/doing a probe in bulk and sending away for a fusarium graminearum test yourself (Alberta residents) is likely a good safety precaution even over this.

Any early thoughts on acreage next year. My early thoughts are that all crops have reasonably good price outlooks so I would go to a rotation that has a good fit on your farm with a fit to drier conditions (at least in Alberta). Others approaches?

[TOM4CWB]

Charlie;

We have a big problem.

Many farmers must buy seed stock because of the drought.

Now PBR prevents sale of common seed, we asked to have stocks recertified on a local basis, to create more stocks of certified, and were laughed off the phone by the seed co.s who own the varieties.

THe saddest part was these seed co's said; "there is lots of seed in eastern Sk and MB, get it from there.

And AAFC really screwed up.

They sent me bags of Superb Breeder Seed, that were tagged Fusarium free.

They said they were heat treated to kill the fusarium.

But they did not heat treat it at all.

A farmer did not trust AAFC, did a retest on the breeder seed and found 1% fusarium.

Lucky us, now AAFC is offering free multipal fusarium testing, and a refund on our breeder seed cost per bag.

But now we are told we should burn all the straw on the field, not grow wheat for a number of years yata yata yata...SICK.

If the Alberta government wants to control fusarium, why did it allow thousands of tonnes of fusarium infested forage, that is 10x worse than infected seed that has been treated, for spreading the fusarium throughout this province.

We have, in the past used seed treatments to control desease problems, why was this solution not used this time?

Unfortunately, the province is closing the barn walkin door, after the horses are mostly out of the barn.

The few horses that are still in the barn are still escaping through the main door of the barn, they didn't care much that you closed the walkin door that is normally used by humans anyway!

Now doing seed sales that are illegal, will be normal, another slap across the face for those seed producers and sellers who have integrety... and refuse to break the law...


This policy needs to be rethought along with PBR for this year.

No farmer want fusarium on their farm, be assured of that. We will do everything possible to prevent the spread of this desease, but please give us some tools to work with, such as;

Proper seed treating methods to prevent the spread of fusarium;

Heat treaters to kill fusarium on imported seed;

recertification of certified seed stocks, so we can use our own fusarium free stocks to plant as stock seed, for next years certified and registered seed production.

Charlie, someone needs to do something about these issues... this 2002 disaster is about to turn a calamity... for Alberta farmers... PLEASE PLEASE the Alberta government has not protected anyone from anything, we NEED HELP to get through this crisis, without breaking the law everywhere we turn!

[charliep]

Thanks for heads up Tom4 cwb. I look for others comments on the issues around fusarium graminearum policy (feed, seed and hay/straw).

As a note, I have not heard of any seed treatments for fusarium graminearum infected seed. It may reduce likelihood of the pathegen but I don't think it eliminates. Heat treatment is something I have heard of but can't comment (you have an economist rather than a plant pathologist).