M. R. Fernandez

Effects of crop rotations and fertilizer management on leaf spotting diseases of spring wheat in southwestern Saskatchewan

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of crop sequence, summerfallow frequency, and fertilizer application, on the severity of leaf spotting diseases of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). In the field experiment examined, Pyrenophora tritici-repentis (Died.) Drechs. was the pathogen most commonly isolated from lesioned leaf tissue, followed by stagonospora blotch (Phaeosphaeria nodorum [E. Muller] Hedjaroude). The severity of leaf spots in wheat after fallow was greater than in monoculture continuous wheat, or in wheat after a noncereal crop. Percent area with leaf spots in wheat grown after wheat was higher than in wheat grown after flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) or lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus) in years with high disease pressure (1995 and 1996), but not in 1993 or 1994 when overall disease levels were low. Under soil N-deficient conditions, leaf spot levels increased in years with dry summers (1994 and 1996), whereas a P deficiency decreased leaf spot severity in years that had coo...

Fusarium populations in roots of oilseed and pulse crops grown in eastern Saskatchewan

Roots of canola, flax, lentil and pea crops, commonly grown in rotation with wheat and barley on the Canadian Prairies, were sampled for extent of discolouration and associated fungal populations in eastern Saskatchewan, in 2000 and 2001. Fusarium was the genus most commonly isolated from pulse crops, particularly lentil, and one of the most common genera isolated from oilseed crops. The discolouration severity of pulse and flax roots was associated with Fusarium spp., and that of canola with Alternaria spp. Cochliobolus sativus and other commonly isolated species appeared to be present in roots as weak pathogens or saprophytes. Most of the Fusarium spp. have also been isolated from cereal crops affected by crown/root rot or fusarium head blight (FHB) in the province, although at different relative levels. These included F. avenaceum, the most commonly isolated species, and F. culmorum and F. graminearum, which were among the least prevalent species. This is the first report of isolation of F. graminearum...

Response of wheat root pathogens to crop management in eastern Saskatchewan

A survey of common root rot in spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and durum wheat (T. turgidum L. var. durum) crops was conducted in eastern Saskatchewan from 1999 to 2001 to investigate the association of agronomic practices with disease and fungal populations, in particular Fusarium species associated with Fusarium head blight (FHB), which is a disease of increasing importance in this region. Spring wheat preceded by summerfallow, or grown after a sequence that included summerfallow and a cereal crop, had increased levels of Cochliobolus sativus and lower levels of most Fusarium spp. in discoloured subcrown internodes. Cropping sequences that included at least one noncereal crop in the previous 2 yr resulted in higher percentage isolations of F. avenaceum and F. graminearum than sequences which did not include noncereal crops. Highest levels of F. avenaceum, the most common FHB pathogen in the province, were observed when the previous crop was a pulse. Tillage system effects depended on the previous cr...

Effects of input management and crop diversity on economic returns and riskiness of cropping systems in the semi-arid Canadian Prairie

Producers in the semi-arid Dark Brown Chernozemic (Typic Boroll) soil zone of the Canadian Prairie are contemplating changes to land-use practices, moving away from conventional high-input production systems that specialize in one or two annual grain crops to more diversified and extended cropping systems that use reduced-input and organic management practices. This study examined the economic merits of nine cropping systems, consisting of a factorial combination of three input management methods and three levels of cropping diversity. It was conducted over the 1996–2007 period on a loam soil at Scott, Saskatchewan. The input treatments were: (1) high input (HIGH), which used conventional tillage and full recommended rates of fertilizers and pesticides ‘as required’; (2) reduced input (RED), which used conservation tillage and integrated weed and nutrient management practices in an effort to lower requirements for fuel, fertilizers and pesticides; and (3) organic input (ORG), which used tillage, non-chemical pest control, higher seeding rates, delayed seeding and legume crops to replenish soil nutrients. The crop diversity treatments included: (1) a fallow-based rotation with low crop diversity (LOW); (2) a diversified annual rotation of cereal, oilseed and pulse grains (DAG); and (3) a diversified rotation using annual grains and perennial forages (DAP). All crop rotations were 6 years in length. At the 2007 input costs and prices, average net returns and 12-year net present values were higher for organic than for non-organic treatments, with the ORG input/LOW crop diversity system being the most profitable (net returns=

Economics of spring wheat production systems using conventional tillage management in the Brown soil zone – Revisited

234 ha −1 yr −1 and net present value=

Impacts of agronomic practices on the leaf spotting complex of common wheat in eastern Saskatchewan

1953 ha −1 ). Net returns averaged about 10% less for ORG/DAG compared to the most profitable system, and about 22% less for HIGH/DAG and RED/DAG (the best non-organic systems). The DAP treatments that included forage were not economically competitive with the other treatments, often producing economic losses. The relative profitability of the organic treatments was highly dependent on the existence of organic price premiums. When price premiums for organic crops were reduced to less than 70% of the 2007 levels, the organic treatments were less profitable than the comparable non-organic treatments. The organic treatments also experienced significantly lower (and often negative) net returns compared to the non-organic treatments during completion of the 3-year organic certification period. We estimated that it required 5–7 years after completion of certification for the organic treatments to break even with the comparable non-organic treatments. Thereafter the organic treatments produced consistently higher net earnings. Production costs averaged 16% lower with ORG management compared to the HIGH-input treatments, but we found little difference in total costs between the respective HIGH- and RED-input treatments. The organic treatments also displayed lower income variability than the non-organic treatments, with the ORG/LOW system being preferred by risk-averse producers, who do not subscribe to all-risk crop insurance, and with the ORG/LOW and ORG/DAG systems preferred by low and medium risk-averse producers when having the added financial protection from the Canada/Saskatchewan all-risk crop insurance program.

Impact of Crop Management Systems on Diseases of Spring Wheat on the Canadian Prairies

Producers in the semiarid Brown soil zone of the Canadian Prairies have historically used fallow (F)-based cropping systems with mechanical tillage methods to produce spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) (W). However, in the past two decades government policies and programs have changed, as have cropping practices, market opportunities, and weather patterns. This study re-examines the economic merits of these conventional cropping systems under today’s conditions in regard to the optimal cropping frequency, value of applying N and P fertilizer at soil test rates, and the possible advantage of replacing monoculture wheat with lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus) (Lent) or flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) (Flx) grown in mixed rotations. The analysis draws on data from a long-term crop rotation experiment that was established in 1967 on an Orthic Brown Chernozem at the Semiarid Prairie Agricultural Research Centre at Swift Current, Saskatchewan. All cropping systems were managed using conventional tillage practices, ...

Optimizing harvest schemes to improve yield and feeding quality in chickpea

A survey of commercial common wheat crops was conducted in eastern Saskatchewan (2000 to 2002) to determine the effects of agronomic practices on the leaf spot (LS) disease complex and causal pathogens, and to determine the impact of LS on crop productivity. Leaf spots had a negative impact on grain yield, but did not affect market grade consistently. There was little effect of agronomic practices on LS severity, but cropping sequence and tillage system affected the mean percentage fungal isolation (MPI), whereas only tillage affected the percentage fungal occurrence. A previous noncereal crop, which had in most cases been preceded by a cereal, resulted in a higher MPI of Pyrenophora tritici-repentis (Ptr), the most common pathogen, and a lower MPI of the septoria leaf blotch fungi Mycosphaerella graminicola (Mg) and Phaeosphaeria nodorum (Pn). Levels of Ptr tended to be lower after 2 yr of noncereals, grown mostly under zero tillage. Overall, the MPI of Ptr increased with a reduction in tillage, being mo...

Climatic and agronomic effects on leaf spots of spring wheat in the western Canadian Prairies

Fusarium spp. (Fspp.) associated with crown/root rot of wheat are also responsible for Fusarium head blight (FHB), a disease of increasing importance on the Canadian Prairies. This study showed that tillage/input level (organic [OI], reduced [RI] or high [HI]) had a greater impact on common root rot (CRR) than cropping diversity (low diversity, diversified with annual grains, or diversified with annual grains/forage). Levels of CRR and Cochliobolus sativus were highest for OI and HI, and lowest for RI. Higher disease levels were also observed under low cropping diversity where the frequency of cereals and fallow was highest. Fspp. were more common in OI and RI than HI, and in the more diverse systems, although the nature of these associations varied with the species. F. avenaceum and F. culmorum, two of the main crown/root rot and FHB pathogens, were most associated with RI systems and/or continuous diversified grain rotations, and least associated with OI systems. Further work on crop management effects on Fusarium populations in wheat is warranted considering the increased development of important diseases caused by Fspp. in western Canada

Influence of Phosphorus, Nitrogen, and Potassium Chloride Placement and Rate on Durum Wheat Yield and Quality

Late maturity often causes substantial losses in yield and quality of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) in the short growing season in western Canada. This study determined optimum harvest management practices to minimize losses due to late maturity. Kabuli chickpea was grown in southwestern Saskatchewan from 2002 to 2004, and seed and straw were harvested with various harvest management practices. Seed yield in 2004 was higher compared with 2002 and 2003, but the 2004 seed samples had a high percentage of shrivelled and green seeds. Seed yield, weight per seed and harvest index (HI) were highest when the crop was directly combined at natural maturity either before or after a killing (-5°C) frost. On average, swathing at early or late maturity stages decreased seed yield, weight per seed and HI significantly compared with direct combine practices. Seeds from the swathing treatments had high percentages of green and shrivelled seeds with high levels of fungal colonization. Both seed and straw from swathing had...