Wheat diseases on the prairies: a Canadian story
Citation
Aboukhaddour, R., Fetch, T., McCallum, B. D., Harding, M. W., Beres, B. L., & Graf, R. J. (2020). Wheat diseases on the prairies: A canadian story. Plant Pathology, 69(3), 418-432. doi:10.1111/ppa.13147
Plain language summary
Canada is one of the largest wheat producer in the world, and wheat is grown over an area spanning most of the southern regions, with the prairie provinces (Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Manitoba) as the main producer. Several pathogens and pests attack wheat, but at the present Fusarium head blight, stripe rust and leaf spots are the most damaging diseases to wheat production in Canada. Smuts, stem and leaf rust historically caused major crop losses in Canada and can still pose serious threat if management practices are relaxed. Cropping practices used by Canadian farmers to grow and harvest wheat over the last century have influenced disease development and pathogen biology, and have affected the severity, incidence, and prevalence of crop diseases over time. Changes such as reduced tillage coincide with emergence of residue born diseases, such as Fusarium head blight and leaf spots, while deployment of resistant cultivars, and increased fungicide use has resulted in the reduction of common bunt and stem and leaf rust. This mini-review will attempt to discuss the influence of long term cropping practices, alone or in combination, on the biology, emergence, and prevalence of wheat diseases in Canada over the last century.
Abstract
Canada is one of the largest wheat producer in the world, and wheat is grown over an area spanning most of the southern regions, with the prairie provinces (Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Manitoba) as the main producer. Several pathogens and pests attack wheat, but at the present Fusarium head blight, stripe rust and leaf spots are the most damaging diseases to wheat production in Canada. Smuts, stem and leaf rust historically caused major crop losses in Canada and can still pose serious threat if management practices are relaxed. Cropping practices used by Canadian farmers to grow and harvest wheat over the last century have influenced disease development and pathogen biology, and have affected the severity, incidence, and prevalence of crop diseases over time. Changes such as reduced tillage coincide with emergence of residue born diseases, such as Fusarium head blight and leaf spots, while deployment of resistant cultivars, and increased fungicide use has resulted in the reduction of common bunt and stem and leaf rust. This mini-review will attempt to discuss the influence of long term cropping practices, alone or in combination, on the biology, emergence, and prevalence of wheat diseases in Canada over the last century.