FHB Archives - Grainews

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

By Don Norman May 9, 2025

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.

The spray window for fusarium head blight in wheat may only be a few days, so timing is critical.

Features

Four tips for FHB spray applications in wheat

To prevent outbreaks consider spray preparation, double nozzles, coarser sprays and lower booms

By Mark Halsall December 24, 2021

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is one of the most destructive wheat diseases in Western Canada, affecting the yield, grade and end-use quality of infected crops. Fungicides can be very effective in preventing FHB outbreaks, as long as they’re applied on time and sprayed the right way. Tom Wolf, a sprayer expert and scientist at Agrimetrix […] Read more

The overwhelming culprit is F. graminearum (G. zeae) which can be distinguished from similar fusaria by the bright orange/pink colouration of this fungus infection on the grain.

Cereals, Crops

The latest buzz on fusarium in cereal crops

Fusarium is destructive, and Alberta’s zero-tolerance policy is in trouble in durum areas

By Ieuan Evans November 20, 2018

Fusarium head blight (FHB), fusarium graminearum, or tombstone as it’s called in the U.S. has become one of the most destructive diseases of small grain cereals and corn in North America. Fusarium head blight first became a problem in Ontario where it produced toxins on grain corn. Just to confuse you, this disease on corn […] Read more

Cereals, Columns, Crops

FHB: a disease of even-numbered years

It seems unlikely that FHB strikes every second year, but the data backs it up

By Les Henry March 29, 2018

This is an update of a piece about fusarium head blight (FHB) we did about one year ago now. To be honest, much of it is actually “cut and paste” from last year. I’ve never done that before, but it seems appropriate for this situation. We are just adding another year of data. In agronomy […] Read more

Cereals, Crops, Features

Use those fusarium maps

Know your risk: fusarium maps offer another metric for spraying decisions

By Julienne Isaacs May 2, 2017

What if farmers could predict Mother Nature’s moods in the growing season? The idea is becoming less and less far-fetched with advances that help producers put a number on disease risk. But fusarium head blight (FHB) risk assessment maps are only one factor among many influencing spraying decisions. FHB risk assessment maps have been available […] Read more

This photo shows Goodeve wheat, not sprayed with fungicide. The photo was taken on August 2, 2012.

Columns, Crops

Looking for solutions for fusarium

Fusarium head blight is on the rise, and Les Henry is looking for a solution

By Les Henry March 24, 2017

The title of this piece might suggest that the author is an authority on plant disease, but that is not true. For this I have my farmer hat on. There is nothing like a little skin in the game to force one to read the literature and learn. My rotation had been wheat/peas/wheat/canola for 15 […] Read more

Cereals, Crops, News

Fusarium head blight as bad as it sounds

An Alberta study says fusarium can easily cost farmers $50/acre. What you can do?

By Geoff Geddes February 7, 2017

As demonstrated by terms like rhinorrhea, which is basically a runny nose, some conditions sound worse than they are. In the case of fusarium head blight (FHB), a cereal disease affecting small grains and corn, the nasty name fits like a glove. In her research work on plant pathology for The Grain Research Centre (CEROM) […] Read more

Cereals, Crops

Fusarium in the bin

A third of CWRS samples submitted to the  CGC were downgraded due to fusarium. Now what?

By Patty Milligan December 3, 2014

Since the first major outbreak in Manitoba in 1993, fusarium head blight (FHB) has established itself in Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan and continues to move into western Saskatchewan, Alberta, and northern B.C. Farmers in some parts of the Prairies are now accustomed to dealing with the fungal disease and its dominant strain, F. graminearum, and […] Read more

Columns, Crops

2014 was a bad year for fusarium

Farmers need better data to make good decisions around spraying for fusarium

By Les Henry October 21, 2014

Nothing sharpens focus on a production problem like a little skin in the game. My crop rotation on my tiny Blackstrap farm has been wheat, peas, wheat, canola since 1998. It is too much wheat, and for a very scary reason: fusarium head blight (FHB). FHB was a Manitoba problem, so no big worry for […] Read more

Alberta crop conditions improve: report

U.S. grains: Corn sets contract lows on expectations for big US crop

U.S. livestock: Cattle strength continues

GFM Network News