Fusarium infected wheat - noted bleached heads - photo credit to Michael Harding, Alberta Agriculture

By Dori Modney

Alberta government modernizes rules regarding Fusarium

Jun 4, 2020 | 5:57 PM

EDMONTON, AB. — An industry-led Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) working group, has welcomed the provincial government’s news that value chain partners will lay the foundation for better FHB management and improved competitiveness for Alberta farmers.

The working group consists of value-chain partners from primary producers to global bioscience companies and other stakeholders. They’ve long advocated for this shift from regulatory control to a province-wide approach that promotes the extension and education of best management practices.

It’s expected this approach will enable sustainable FHB mitigation, and a regulatory change that’s a success for government, farmers and industry.

On Tuesday, June 2, Provincial Agriculture Minister Devin Dreeshen announced that Fusarium graminearum (Fg) is being removed from the Pest Nuisance Control Regulation of the Agricultural Pests Act, bringing Alberta in line with best practices from other provinces.

As part of the campaign to mitigate FHB through extension and education, the commissions, in collaboration with the working group, are developing a website called, ‘Let’s Manage It!’ that will serve as a one-stop resource aimed at FHB mitigation, while providing a roadmap for industry-wide FHB management.

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Fusarium graminearum causes fusarium head blight, a serious fungal disease that affects wheat, barley, oats and corn. It’s been present in Alberta at very low levels since 1989. In late 2002, Alberta released the first comprehensive Alberta Fusarium graminearum Management Plan.

Regulating fusarium has failed to stop its spread, which has increased across the province over the past 20 years, as the Alberta Fusarium graminearum Management Plan, published in 2002, does not account for recent advances in seed treatment options that can lower detections, bringing them close to zero.

Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Devin Dreeshen, noted the government action had been a long time coming.

“Alberta’s farmers continue to grow high-quality food that people around the world can count on every day.. This long over-due change creates new opportunities for our farmers by levelling the playing field. Modernizing these rules means that Alberta farmers will benefit from current research advances.”

Paul Hoekstra, government and industry relations, Syngenta, had a positive reaction to the announcement.

“The Canadian Seed Trade Association has long advocated for a removal of fusarium as a pest as it will be the most effective way for industry to promote management systems; encourage research, investment and innovation; and allow Alberta farmers to stay competitive with their counterparts in other jurisdictions. We would like to thank the Government of Alberta for its leadership.”

More information on the Alberta Fusarium graminearum Management Plan can be found on the government website.