On previous programs we’ve heard about how to identify fusarium in wheat and barley. Kelly Turkington, research scientist, plant pathology with Agriculture Canada in Lacombe, says if any symptoms are observed, send the affected cereal head samples to a lab to determine the species of fusarium and its prevalence. He says knowing the species is important.
Interview with Kelly Turkington (2:55 minutes) (1.33 Mb)
Turkington says realizing whether a specific field is a candidate to apply a control strategy is contingent upon the knowledge gained by observing disease symptoms at the heading stage of cereal crops during previous growing seasons. Determining the species and disease severity are the first steps to determining whether a control strategy is necessary. He adds once symptoms are present it is too late to apply a fungicide, but you can still use this information to plan for subsequent growing seasons.
Source : Agriculture and Forestry