Michelle Hubbard, an Agricutlure and Agri-Food Canada researcher, says chickpea-flax intercrop works to reduce ascochyta blight disease. She shares some theories on why.
Tag Archives Crop disease
Ongoing research on chickpea-flax intercrop shows the mix reduces ascochyta blight
The intercrop works for reducing the disease, but Michelle Hubbard, an Agricutlure and Agri-Food Canada researcher, is still working on the why
Verticillium may undermine canola blackleg resistance
Verticillium stripe may compromise blackleg resistance protection in canola, new research out of Manitoba suggests
University of Manitoba research finds verticillium stripe in canola can break down blackleg resistance, creating challenges for disease management and yield protection on the Prairies.
Saskatchewan Crop Report: Varied precipitation as harvest begins
Dry areas begin harvest operations
Some areas of Saskatchewan received more than 100 mm of rain during the week ended Aug. 4, 2025, but others had little to none. Harvest operations began in those dry areas.
Good news, bad news for fungicides meant to fight stem rot in canola
A report lays out various levels of resistance and adaptation found in disease samples
A report shows overall insensitivity of sclerotinia to three fungicide groups hasn’t changed in a big way between 2010 and 2024 — but shows some sclerotinia populations have been discovered with elevated insensitivity to all three.
Pulse Weekly: Conditions vary across Saskatchewan
Weather, lack of moisture affecting crops
Pulse conditions in Saskatchewan are varied across the province with the worst-faring crops located in the western half.
How farmers can help map, monitor and forecast pest outbreaks
Researchers can help producers develop pest management plans — but farmers’ help is needed to know which pests are where, and how many
Prairie scientists conducting research into field crop pests can always use more help from producers — whether it’s by granting access to farmland, or just by reporting what they see in the field.
Experts doubt FBI’s claim that crop fungus smuggled by Chinese students is a threat
A biological sample that a Chinese researcher was accused of smuggling into the United States and that prosecutors cast as a “dangerous biological pathogen” is a common type of fungus already widespread in U.S. crop fields that likely poses little risk to food safety, experts said.
Corn’s amazing nature
Practical Research: The fusarium we see in small cereal grains is the anamorph of the pink mould seen in corn
Consider that if you grow corn after wheat or vice versa and have a wet summer or fall, be prepared for possible outbreaks of pink mould/fusarium head blight in either crop in such a rotation.
Fungicide, glyphosate don’t hurt your hard red wheat quality
In terms of grain quality, this University of Manitoba-led research finds weather and variety matter most
The results of this study may not seem all that surprising: everyone expected weather and genotype to be the most impactful factors on wheat quality. But this research hadn’t been done before, so it offers up the good news that fungicides and glyphosate aren’t making things worse.
FEED ME: Can well-fed plants fend off diseases and insects?
We examine an Idaho farmer’s program for crop self-defence
Blake Matthews works with agronomist Jared Cook on an intensive cropping program that improves plant health and soil health, reduces pesticide use and somewhat increases profits. We check in with Prairie experts to see how that program’s principles could work in this region.
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
