South of Saskatoon lies Strasbourg, Saskatchewan, where a diverse set of crops are grown. In Strasbourg, Justin Kerr, a multi-generational grower, rotates wheat, lentils, flax and canola on a 2,300-acre farm.
Justin is no stranger to dealing with pest and disease pressure. But there is one troublesome disease that he and many others are facing: Aphanomyces.
“Towards the end of these long spells of wet years we had, it was getting worse and worse,” said Justin. “My wife is an agronomist and she tested and confirmed we have it really bad.”
The biggest side effect Justin noticed was an increase in dead spots across his field, leading to a decrease in that yield for the season. Knowing the stress factors that contribute to an increased risk of root rot is the first step towards a healthy crop. While Aphanomyces can attack host crops anytime during the growing season, seedlings are especially vulnerable since they can easily be overtaken by disease.
In some places, Justin is working on stretching the rotation of his pulses out to where they get a seven-year break. Implementing a strong crop rotation plan can be a great way to ward off Aphanomyces, but growers like Justin decided to try something new this year: a seed treatment.
This year Justin used RANCONA® TRIO seed treatment to help control his Aphanomyces outbreak.
“We traditionally did not treat our pulses at all,” said Justin. “This year I tried fields that haven’t had a break with the treatment, and so far, there is not dead patches.”
When it comes to seed treatments, a product that works as an early-season suppressant of Aphanomyces is your best bet, especially if early-season conditions are cool and wet. RANCONA TRIO seed treatment can help prevent the spread of the disease and keep spore levels down in fields where Aphanomyces is not yet suspected or detected.
Products like RANCONA TRIO seed treatment are great tools to help growers manage outbreaks, but experts at UPL recommend multiple best practices to keep in mind.
- Use a four-year crop rotation and avoid fields where pea or lentils were grown during above-normal rainfall years in the past.
- Test soils proactively for Aphanomyces prior to seeding peas and lentils.
- Test seed quality.
- Use a quality seed treatment, especially if planting into cool soil.
- Plant in lighter textured soils that offer good drainage.
- Avoid compacted soil.
- Apply adequate nutrients.
- Maintain effective weed control of potential Aphanomyces host plants such as volunteer alfalfa, white clover, shepherd's purse and chickweed.
- At the earliest signs of a root rot infection, test plant roots to confirm the type of root rot present.
- Avoid movement of soil between fields.
No grower wants to hear there is Aphanomyces in a field, but with a little vigilance, implementation of good agronomic practices and a seed treatment, you can drastically reduce your risk factors.
If you are like Justin and experiencing Aphanomyces outbreak, reach out to your local UPL representative to talk about your options.
