2014 Crop Protection Laboratory Summary of SampleSubmissions

Chocolate spot of faba beans.

By: Cecilia Peluola, PAg, Supervisor, Crop Protection Laboratory

Each year comes with its own unique challenges. The biggest problem producers faced this year waswet feet, as a result of the excessive moisture observed during the better part of June. Most of thesubmissions from various field crops were diagnosed with wet feet. The good news is that there isnothing unusual in the sample submissions to the Crop Protection Laboratory this year. The month ofJuly was normal to dry and a few heat sensitive crops such as flax were submitted. Figure 1 summarizesall submissions to the laboratory this summer.

Sample submissions to the lab continue to decrease gradually now that fall has arrived. Concerns fromgrowers range from pods failing to form seeds or producing a lower yield than expected, wheat headsfailing to form kernels, and cereal and special crops developing stem and root diseases.

Anthracnose disease of lentil, ascochyta leaf and pod spot of field pea, pasmo disease of flax, blackleg,grey stem and white spot of canola, fusarium head blight of wheat and ascochyta blight and chocolatespot of fababeans (Photo 1) were common submissions since the last report. All these diseases cancause significant yield and quality loss under favourable disease conditions. Crested wheat grassseverely infested with ergot was also submitted.

The first Dutch elm disease survey sample of 2014 arrived to the Crop Protection Laboratory on June13. In total, 125 trees were confirmed positive for Dutch elm disease in 2014. Sample submissions werelower than last year and therefore so were the number of positive samples. For further information onthis disease, or if you suspect an elm is infected, please contact the Dutch elm disease hotline at 1­800­SASKELM.

Laboratory submissions that have been identified since the 7 edition of Crop Production News areTH

listed below.

Table 1: Diseases and disorders identified since the 7th edition of 2014 Crop Production News.

Crops Diagnosis

Flax Root rot (Fusarium sp,) Herbicide injury, Environmental damage

Flax Pasmo (Septoria linicola)

Lentil Stemphylium blight, (Stemphylium botryosum)

Lentil Root rot (Fusarium sp.)

Lentil Anthracnose (Colletotrichum truncatum)

Field Pea Ascochyta leaf and pod spot (Ascochyta pisi)

Faba beans Ascochyta blight (Ascochyta fabae)

Faba beans Chocolate spot (Botrytis fabae/Botrytis cinerea

Canola Black leg, (Lephtosphaeria maculans or L. biglobosa)

Canola Grey stem (Pseudocercosporella capsellae)

Canola Pod blast, herbicide injury

Coriander Blossom Blight (Ascochyta sp.)

Coriander Powdery mildew (Erysiphe polygoni)

Wheat Prematurity blight

Wheat Fusarium head blight (Fusarium spp.)

Wheat Root rot (Cochliobolus sativus)

Weeds identified

Poa pratensis (Kentucky Blue Grass)Gnaphalium palustre (Western Marsh Cudweed)Rubus sp. (Wild Red Raspberry)Rhus radicans (Poison Ivy)

Insect identified

Blissus spp. (Chinch bugs)

Agriculture Month

Why do we need young people to consider a career in the agricultureindustry? Estimates say that by 2050, there will be one billion extramouths to feed. And according to current projections in Canada, 38 percent of jobs in our agriculture industry will be unfilled. Those twonumbers make it apparent that we need more young people to thinkAGso that we can continue to provide solutions for a growing world.

Initiatives like thinkAG aim to educate young people of the opportunitiesin the industry while at the same time explaining why we do what we doin order to produce food. Join the Ministry in promoting the career,entrepreneurial and post­secondary opportunities the industry offers ouryouth. Have an idea or need help? Send us an email atthinkAG@gov.sk.ca.

Visit our website to learn more about what is going on in Agriculture Month. From a speaker series, to a career crawl, to afarm to fork lunch ­ there are endless ways for you get involved, especially if you are willing to tell your story. Join theconversation online by liking the new Saskatchewan Agriculture Facebook page.

Agriculture Student Scholarship

Do you know a young person who is passionate about agriculture? Help us spreadthe word within your networks. The Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture offers theAgriculture Student Scholarship with one winning scholarship valued at $4,000 andthree runner­up scholarships valued at $2,000 to students who thinkAG!

Saskatchewan Grade 12 students who are pursuing agriculture­related post­secondary education are eligible to apply. Read about last year's winner and runners­up to find out more about what it means to be an AGvocate. Have a question? Send itto agriculture.scholarship@gov.sk.ca.

Are you curious how harvest is going around theprovince?

As of September 29, 68 per cent of Saskatchewan’s crop was in the bin and 22 per cent was swathed orready to straight­cut.

By: Danielle Stephens, AAg, IPM Agrologist

As the Crop Production News wraps up for another year, harvest is still in full swing across the province.For more information on the progress of harvest by provincial areas and by specific crops, keepchecking the Saskatchewan Crop Report for weekly updates.

At this time of year you can find reported yields for different regions, rainfall and frost reports, and ofcourse, the percentage of crop harvested.

The Crop Report is released every Thursday at 10 a.m. during the season ­ from spring to harvest!

Early Fall Frosts can Affect Seed Quality

Frost damage occurs as moisture within the plant crystallizes and expands causing cells to rupture andfluid to leak out, creating the watery appearance of plant tissue or seed. Different crop types will sufferdifferent degrees of damage due to the various way crops develop during the growing season. If foodreserves within the seed are adversely affected, the quality for future propagation will be compromised.

According to studies conducted over the years, frost damaged seed can be categorized into four typesdepending on the degree of frost damage.

Categories of Frost Damage (modified from U of S Extension Bulletin 128)

Type A

Sound seeds with no apparent damage from frost.

Type B

Some amount of bran frost.

Type C

Moderate frost damage. Kernels may show slight shrivelling, but retain reasonable weight.

Type D

Kernels severely damaged by frost. Kernels are substantially shrunken or shrivelled. Low bushel weight.

The effect of the damage in Types B, C and D can impact crop germination and emergence. Researchindicated that Type B or bran frosted wheat could be used for seed, provided the 1,000 kernel weightwas close to normal and germination levels are high. Types C and D damaged seed showing significantshrunken or shrivelled kernels should not be used for seed.

Frost damaged seed is prone to suffering seed rots and seedling blights. Any crop treated withglyphosate for pre­harvest weed control should not be used for planting seed as pooremergence and seedling vigour can occur.

Using the best seed possible, preferably non­frosted seed, is always an important managementdecision. A germination test is a must when there is possible frost injury, which is done as part of thegrading and purity analysis in any accredited seed laboratory and a Certificate of Analysis is providedupon request.

In order to understand the effects of frost, the structure and content of plant cells should be understood.Plant cells contain not only water but also many substances such as proteins, sugars, amino acids andother solutes that can lower the freezing temperature and protect cells against intracellular ice formation(similar to antifreeze in your car). What this means is that even though water freezes at 0 C, a plant cellmay need temperatures down to ­4 C or lower before cells freeze and damage occurs.

Several factors combine to determine each plant's susceptibility to frost. Different parts of the plant,different stages of development of the plant and different types of plants will contain varying levels ofthese ‘antifreeze' compounds and in a range of frost damage. Environmental conditions such asdrought, cold, heat, etc., can also influence the levels of these compounds and the tolerance to freezingtemperatures. Typically, a plant exposed to stress can become more hardened which can moderatelyincrease its tolerance to frost.

For more information, contact your local Regional Crops Specialist or the Agriculture KnowledgeCentre at 1­866­457­2377.

Fall Banding of Anhydrous Ammonia and Urea Products

By: Ken Panchuk, PAg, Provincial Specialist Soils

Fall banding nitrogen can help reduce next spring's workload, and nitrogen fertilizer applied in the fallcan help free up some on­farm storage too. The banding depth should be deep enough for soil to flowfreely around the shank and close the furrow so the anhydrous ammonia does not escape. If bandingurea, the depth should be sufficient to ensure the granules are not exposed, decreasing the risk ofvolatilization.

Fall banding nitrogen has worked well under most Saskatchewan field conditions and therefore remainsa beneficial management practice (BMP). The narrow bands of nitrogen keep the nutrient concentrated,minimizing tie­up of nitrogen by the soil microbes that decompose crop residues during the next growingseason.

Industry has introduced the 4R Nutrient Stewardship Concept that is focused on keeping the soil highlyproductive while minimizing the risk of nutrients moving into the environment. The ‘Right Source' appliedat the ‘Right Rate', at the ‘Right Time' and ‘Right Place', has worked successfully under Saskatchewanconditions for decades and will be in place for decades to come. This is how agriculture continues topractise conservation and improve soil health while producing ample food of high quality for the world'sgrowing population.

For more information

Call the Regional Crops Specialist at your nearest Saskatchewan Agriculture Regional Office; orContact the Agriculture Knowledge Centre at 1­866­457­2377

FYI on FHB (Fusarium Head Blight in 2014)

By: Faye Dokken­Bouchard, PAg, Provincial Specialist, Plant Disease

Ministry staff have received many reports of Fusarium head blight (FHB) and observations made in thefield are confirming the possibility of a bad year for the disease. FHB is also known as scab. FHB canaffect various cereal crops and forage grasses, but some are hit harder than others.

From least damage to most damage, they are ranked as follows:

Photo 1: Bleaching of spikelets caused by FHB infection on durum.

Fusarium head blight is caused by one or more Fusarium species, a common pathogen and saprophytefound on seed and crop residue. The most important species is Fusarium graminearum, as it isaggressive as a pathogen and is also responsible for the production of toxin called deoxynivalenol orDON in the grain. DON can reduce feed intake by livestock and adversely affect the baking quality ofwheat and the malting and brewing qualities of malt barley. Therefore, infection results in a grade andend­use quality reduction, but it also reduces yield.

Symptoms include premature bleaching of one or more of the spikelets on the head (see Photo 1) andcan result in the formation of fusarium damaged kernels (FDK) or tombstone kernels, which are typically

shrivelled, lightweight, and white or pink in colour. When tombstone kernels are lost during combining orseed cleaning, yield is reduced. More importantly, grade losses occur when the percentage of theremaining damaged kernels in a sample exceeds grading tolerances.

The Canadian Grain Commission allows only very low levels of FDK in food and feed grains and zerolevels in malting barley. The tolerances were set to account for the presence of potentially harmful fungaltoxins, called mycotoxins, produced in diseased grain (see Figure 1). Health Canada regulates themaximum levels for various chemical contaminants in food, including DON.

Figure 1: Grading Determinants: Fusarium Damage Tolerances (Information Source: Canadian GrainCommission).

In addition to mycotoxin concerns, FHB­infected seed often has reduced levels of germination andseedling vigour. Before using cereal seed for planting, it is recommended to have seed tested forpercentage infection and to determine which Fusarium species are present. Even without FHB infectionor FDK, seed can also be infected with saprophytic Fusarium, a problem when wet conditions areexperienced at harvest (after the crop has ripened). The quality of this seed for planting will still becompromised due to the risk of seedling blight, but a seed treatment can help mitigate the risk (seeFigure 2). The Ministry of Agriculture keeps a list of laboratories doing seed testing in the prairies,including some that do mycotoxin screening.

Figure 2: Threshold for Fusarium infection in cereal seed.

The Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture Fusarium Head Blight Survey monitors the severity and

spread of fusarium head blight (FHB) within the province, and determines the Fusarium speciesresponsible for infection. The information collected from the survey is used to provide disease controlrecommendations for producers. Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation adjusters collect wheathead samples when the crop is in the early milk to early dough stages. These samples are sent to theCrop Protection Laboratory for species identification and a disease severity rating. The 2014 FHB surveymaterial is still being processed, and information will become available through the Canadian PlantDisease Survey when complete. The major species reported in past surveys are illustrated in Figure 3.

Figure 3: Major Fusarium species detected in Saskatchewan cereal samples (Information Source:Canadian Plant Disease Survey)

The westward movement of F. graminearum through the Prairie provinces is likely a result of severalfactors including warming weather patterns, a change in the aggressiveness of the pathogen, moreintensive farming practices and the movement of infected seed. Effective control of the spread of FHB ispossible if management strategies are implemented.

An understanding of the disease cycle of Fusarium fungi is important to tackling FHB (see Figure 4).Fusarium fungi can over­winter as spores or mycelium on seed and crop residue. Seed infected with theFusarium fungi may have reduced vigour and become infected upon emergence, resulting in seedlingblight. Some Fusarium species can also survive on roots of other crops, including pulses and oilseeds.

Figure 4: FHB disease cycle.

Development of Fusarium spores is favoured by warm and moist conditions. Spores are spread by rain­splash and wind and can come in contact with above ground parts of cereals. FHB infection is most likelyto occur during July when the florets are open during flowering, allowing the spore to come in contactwith the floret. Fungicide applications must take place during flowering in order to suppress the disease.For those disappointed by their FHB fungicide applications this year, remember that products areregistered for suppression only, and under high disease pressure infections may still take place. TheFHB fungus can also enter through wounds caused by hail, birds or insects.

Compared to other mycotoxins, DON is one of the least toxic but can still result in reduced feedconsumption or feed refusal, especially when fed to non­ruminants. DON concentration can bedetermined from a crushed grain sample in a laboratory and is measured as parts per million (ppm).Livestock vary in their tolerance to DON so it is important to have infected feed grain tested for levels ofDON. DON is not considered a problem in straw used for feed or bedding. Canadian Food InspectionAgency has developed guidelines for DON intake in livestock.

Cleaning the grain after harvest to remove shrunken lightweight kernels may also reduce grade lossesand DON concentration. However, even after cleaning out the severely infected kernels, there may stillbe some DON present in the grain. Prevent additional grading losses from occurring in the bin by storingat less than 14 per cent grain moisture content. Grain with known levels of FDK should be stored in aseparate bin. After the grain dries below a moisture level of about 22 per cent, fungal growth and DON

production will stop.

Cereal residue will enable the fungus to over­winter and act as a source of disease inoculum for thefollowing year. Effective chopping and spreading of straw and chaff will encourage decomposition.Burying the residue through tillage will also speed up its decomposition but may not completely eliminatethe risk since all residue is not buried or may be brought to the surface again in subsequent tillageoperations.

For more information, Read the Ministry's fact sheet on management of FHB for the 2015 season.

Crop Insurance coverage for quality loss

The Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation provides coverage on insured crops for quality losses,such as fusarium head blight. When producers selected their crop insurance coverage in the spring,they not only secured a production guarantee, they also secured a base grade for the crop they areproducing. If the producer's harvested production does not meet the base grade for the insured crop,they can register a claim.

To determine the amount of compensation for quality loss, SCIC uses a formula that makes up thedifference between the value of the harvested production and the value of the base grade for theinsured crop. The difference is known as a quality factor and this factor is applied to the harvestedproduction to calculate the final indemnity. The quality factors SCIC uses are based on a survey ofmarket prices across the province for all types of crops; however, the quality factors are not set untilDecember when the majority of the crop is harvested and grain buyers establish crop prices.

The deadline to register a claim is November 15, 2014. Producers who experienced yield loss, qualityloss or a combination of both should contact their local Crop Insurance office to discuss their coverage. Producers can also visit www.saskcropinsurance.com/cropinsurance/quality for more details.

Managing Your Natural Air Grain Drying Systems Late inthe Season

Using natural air drying systems late in the season presents some real challenges. The main principleof operating a natural air grain drying system is that the air moving through the grain is drier than the airsurrounding the grain. The air then absorbs the moisture from the grain and removes it.

Moisture will move from the grain to the air until it reaches what is known as the equilibrium moisturecontent or (EMC). The EMC is determined by the relative humidity (RH) of the air. For cereal grains, theEMC at 60 per cent RH would be roughly 13 per cent. Sixty per cent RH is the long­term average RH forthe brown soil zone in September. If the average RH is 70 per cent, the EMC is roughly 14 per cent. AtRH above 70 per cent for extended periods, grain may not dry.

A couple of points to keep in mind for later fall operation are:

Minimum air flows should be 1 cubic foot per minute per bushel. Increasing airflows to 1.25 may be ofbenefit under less than ideal conditions.Recent research has shown that a lot of drying happens in the first 24 hours. This is because we arepushing cool air into the bin of warm grain and the air temperature increases, lowering the RH as itmoves through the grain. Lowering the RH of the air increases capacity to extract moisture.Cool air on its own has little capacity to absorb more moisture and as a result there is little dryingoccurring with air temperatures below 10 C.Increasing the temperature of incoming air by 10 C will reduce the RH by roughly half. As anexample, air at 0 C and 70 per cent RH would have an RH of 35 per cent when warmed to 10 C.When using heaters, the temperature rise should be in the range of 5 C to 10 C and air flows shouldbe kept to a minimum of 1 cfm per bushel. Grain dried in this manner should be dried to an averagedry moisture content, mixed and cooled.Running fans during short periods of high RH will not increase moisture content by a significantamount.The worst case scenario is that you can only cool the grain and cannot dry it. The grain will storeonce cooled, provided the moisture content is not too high. You then have time to either use heatedair grain dryers or wait until the following spring to complete the drying process in the bin.

Read "Natural Air Grain Drying" on the Ministry of Agriculture's website for more information onoperation of natural air grain drying systems.

My Beans – This Week; Soybeans across Saskatchewan

By: Dale Risula, PAg, Provincial Specialist Special Crops and Ken Panchuk, PAg, ProvincialSpecialist Soils

Soybean maturity across Saskatchewan is quite variable due to unusual precipitation and temperatureevents, variable agronomy, late seeding, lower heat units and sunlight, and variety selection. Ideallysoybean should have reached full seed (R6) and entered maturity level (R7). Anyone who had frost atthe (R6) level will have likely suffered some reduced yield.

A good visual indicator is to watch the amount of lower leaf drop as this indicates soybeanmaturity. Since the pods mature from the bottom upward, most mature pods are closest to thebottom. Leaf drop follows suit as it starts from the bottom pods.

Quality is always of concern with most growers, and any frost suffered on green soybeans will damageseed that is not in the full seed stage; however, the damage will be variable due to intensity andduration. Most harvest should be taking place near the end of September to early October.

Some growers have reported white mould (sclerotinia) in this year's crop due to all the vegetative growthand high humidity through much of July and August. However, in most cases, it was not enough toconsider taking control actions. Rotating crops will have some effect in reducing this problem. Otherdiseases like phytophthora root and stem rot have shown up as well but in low levels. Other commondiseases to soybean include bacterial blight, brown spot, or frogeye leaf spot; however, they werereported to be low levels this year.

Many growers reported having good weed control this year. A lot of growers wonder about using adesiccant; however, it is not recommended unless the grain is dry but supported with green stems.Typically soybeans will not lodge, shatter, or have any downgrading issues if mature.

How are my beans this week?

The commercial soybeans in the plots have matured. The leaves have dropped and the 30 C days theweek of September 22 to 26 helped dry the mature plants so that the seeds will rattle in the pods whenshaken. The soybeans are at the ‘Full Maturity stage R8'. See Photo 1. The edamame soybean, in thisplot trial, is a short­day plant with very long days­to­maturity. They are only at the R5 stage and will notreach maturity under Saskatchewan conditions.

Soybean at the R8 stage and drying down. Seeds rattle in the pods. Photo taken September 29, 2014.

Summary of Insects in Saskatchewan Crops in 2014

Climatic conditions were not favourable to crop growth or insect activity, particularly in in April and May of2014. Many areas experienced below normal temperatures and higher than normal precipitation.Various insect infestations were reported across Saskatchewan during the growing season; some ateconomic levels, but overall insect pressure was generally lower than most years.

After a three­year decline in numbers, there was an apparent resurgence in cutworm populations acrossthe province. Though not as severe as in recent years, insecticide application was required in manycases and there were reported estimates in excess of 30 acres in some fields. Currently there are noreliable predictive methods to estimate risk from cutworms for 2015. Although cutworms often tend to dobetter in warm, dry conditions, this generalization is not relative to all species. Several Saskatchewansamples of cutworms were submitted as part of the ongoing research on this insect. The intentions ofthe projects are to provide better understanding of species (including identification, differences in biologyand naturally occurring parasites) for future management considerations.

Cabbage Seedpod weevils on canola flower.

The cabbage seedpod weevil was at economic levels from the Alberta border to areas near Indian Headin southern Saskatchewan. Significant infestations were also noted north to Kindersley in the WestCentral Region east to Outlook. This pest continues to be of concern as its range expands into easternregions of the province toward Manitoba.

The 2014 pea leaf weevil survey suggested lower levels of this pest compared to 2013. Damage is stillnoted primarily in the southwest part of Saskatchewan although some feeding was noted on pea in a fewfields near Kyle, north of the South Saskatchewan River in 2013.

Diamondback moth and bertha armyworm moths were monitored with pheromone traps during thegrowing season. Data from Environment Canada did not indicate any early wind trajectories favourable

to bringing in diamondback moths from southern locales. Pheromone traps picked up moths throughoutthe monitoring period in southern Saskatchewan into mid­July but no significant populations werereported in the province.

Bertha armyworm populations continued to decline in 2014. Insecticide application was reported in a fewareas, primarily in southern regions. This insect is thought to be in the downward trend in its cycle and oflesser risk in 2015.

Wheat midge emergence was also delayed due to cool, ambient conditions and further affected by cool,wet soils. In many situations, crop staging was not ideal for midge egg­laying. If the wheat crop was notsusceptible, control was not required. Wheat midge tolerant wheat has been grown on increasing acresover the past few years and if a midge tolerant varietal blend is grown, it is not considered economical tospray for the midge. A soil survey is underway to estimate levels of wheat midge cocoons present toproduce a risk map for 2015.

Swede midge larva (upper left) beside dissected fused canola flower.

Grasshoppers are insect pests that tend to be of greatest risk in dry, hot years. The spring conditionswere not favourable but in June there were several reports of high numbers of grasshoppers in thesouthwest north of Maple Creek. Economic infestations were also reported in the southeast. The highertemperatures in the latter part of September were also favourable for grasshopper egg­laying. A falladult grasshopper survey is being conducted by Saskatchewan Crop Insurance field personnel. Thedata will be used to produce a risk map for 2015.

Fused canola flowers caused by Swede midge larvae.

A swede midge survey was conducted by Agriculture and Agri­Food Canada as part of ongoing research

into this new pest of canola. In 2012­13, the swede midge was identified in fields in Nipawin and CarrotRiver areas where infestations were most intense, west to near Humboldt. In 2014 there were reports oftypical swede midge infested, fused florets outside of the northeast region but results from the surveyare not yet available.

The Harvest Sample Program

By: Mitchell Japp, PAg, Provincial Specialist, Cereal Crops

The Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) compiles the quality and grade results they generate to assistwith marketing Canadian grains, ensuring that grain grading factors continue to be appropriate. TheCGC also conducts research on grain grading.

Farmers who submit samples receive an unofficial CGC grade and quality results for their samples. Theanalyses include protein for cereal grains and pulses; oil, protein and chlorophyll for canola; oil andprotein content and iodine value for flax; and oil and protein content for mustard and soybeans. All ofthis information is provided for free. (Even the postage is paid!)

Grades through the Harvest Sample Program are unofficial because the sample size is smaller thanrequired for official grading, dockage is not retained and the sample is not collected by a CGC licensedgrain inspector. Nonetheless, the quality and grade information from the CGC is valuable marketinginformation for farmers, and it is helpful to the industry overall.

How to submit samples

The deadline to submit samples is November 1, but submitting earlier is better.

The CGC does not accept samples in random containers. You need to sign up to get a sample kit. VisitCGC online ­ you will have to fill out a short form. Once you have signed up for the kits, CGC will sendyou kits every year, so submitting samples gets even easier. The next steps are not much different thanmailing a letter:

1. Fill out the required information on the envelope. Keep the reference number for your records.2. Fill, but do not overfill the sample envelope.3. Seal the envelope.4. Mail the envelope.

Get my results

Results can be found in an online account (remember your name and password), by phoning 1­888­324­2248, or e­mailing harvest­recolte@grainscanada.gc.ca. Make sure you have the CGC referencenumber from step 1 (above).

The CGC is providing a valuable service to individual farmers and industry with the Harvest SampleProgram, but it takes participation for it to work. Sign up as soon as you can and get your samples in.

Visit the Canadian Grain Commission's website for more information on the Harvest Sample Program.

Update on Ergot

By: Mitchell Japp, PAg, Provincial Specialist, Cereal Crops

Ergot infection levels vary from year to year. There are many cultural management practices that can beemployed to help reduce the potential for infection. However, some practices like tillage, which is a slowfield operation, do not fit well in modern farm operations, such as zero­till systems. Unfortunately, thereare no fungicides that are effective on ergot.

Ergot can lower grain yield and affect grain grading as well. Tolerance for ergot bodies in the top twogrades of most wheat classes is 0.04 per cent and only 0.02 per cent in durum. Ergot is a concernbecause of the mycotoxin alkaloids in the ergot bodies and the risks these pose in human food andlivestock feed.

Ergot at the honeydew stage.

In June, there was a one­day symposium focusing on ergot, as well as fusarium head blight. Here aresome of the highlights from various presenters, with a focus on ergot.

There are various ergot alkaloids ranging from 0 to 10,000 ppm.The alkaloids include lysergic acid derivatives; LSD is among them.Ergot has not historically been a problem in Saskatchewan, but recently more ergot has beenobserved, particularly in southern regions.The longer the flowering period, the greater the susceptibility to ergot infection.Roadside grass and weed control reduces the source of inoculum for field infections. There havebeen some anecdotal reports (no actual hard evidence) that counties in Alberta where grass is cutprior to heading have lower infection rates of ergot.o Although anecdotal evidence is not enough to suggest that all ditches should be cut prior toheading, it is worth exploring further with research.Cool, moist conditions (such as in 2014) are ideal for ergot.Ergot bodies (sclerotia) are not easily apparent in triticale.Ergot concentration increases in fine dusts. There is an example of ergot induced vascular spasmsfrom exposure to milling rye flour, which took four months to clear the worker's system. So, it isimportant to reduce the exposure to ergot in the food chain by controlling the amount in the grain asmuch as possible.A properly fitting N95 mask should be used when working with ergot infected grain. Men should shaveto get a better fit and change the mask regularly.Ergot bodies are only viable for one to two years, so crop rotation helps control ergot, especially ifnearby sources of inoculum like ditches are maintained properly.

Copper applications generally do not help. However, if your crop is copper deficient, the floret mayremain open longer, increasing the period of susceptibility. Copper deficiency is not considered to bewidespread in Saskatchewan.In cattle, high doses of ergot poisoning are better understood than low doses. Symptoms are similarto symptoms from cold exposure or frostbite.

While the presenters at the symposium were very knowledgeable, it is also clear that there is still muchto be learned about ergot and mycotoxins in general. To address some of the knowledge gaps, regionalforage and livestock specialists have been collecting samples weekly from ergot infected fields inSaskatchewan this summer. With funding from the Ministry's Agriculture Development Fund, they will getthe samples analyzed and try to determine when alkaloid production begins and at what stage ofmaturity toxic levels are reached after infection. With this information, we may be able to make betterrecommendations for livestock producers using annual cereals as green feed.

Changing weather patterns and changing farm practices may make ergot a more common pest problemin Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan Agriculture's factsheet on ergot does provide good cultural controloptions that can help manage this pest.