Fusarium head blight (FHB) has become a substantial management concern for wheat growers in Saskatchewan, affecting both yield and quality of the crop. An integrated approach to FHB management is recommended, including the use of resistant varieties, a timely fungicide application, and crop rotation, along with other cultural practices.
Read MoreResidue management is a significant challenge for producers on a year-to-year basis. Uneven and poorly distributed residues can lead to many complications for producers, such as uneven seed depth the following spring, blocked drill openers, and uneven plant stands and emergence. Because Western Canadian producers often seasonally rotate wheat and canola crops, it is important to have a better understanding of how wheat residue management can affect the emergence of canola in a rotation. The objective of this research was to analyze canola emergence and yield based on different wheat residue harvest management strategies.
Read MoreConsumers avoid wheat products because of real or perceived non-celiac wheat intolerance, which is also termed “gluten sensitivity”. Measures to restore wheat consumption are hampered by the lack of knowledge of etiological agents of non-celiac gluten intolerance. Fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharide and polyols (FODMAPs) were demonstrated to contribute to adverse reactions to wheat consumption in sensitive individuals; immune reactive proteins in wheat including amylase-trypsin inhibitors (ATI) and wheat germ agglutinins (WGA) were additionally suggested to contribute to intolerance of wheat in sensitive individuals.
Read MoreProtection from fungal plant pathogens is key for optimizing the yield and quality of wheat. However, current grower practices and historical research do not always align with respect to optimum fungicide timing to maximize disease control, yield, quality and profitability of Canadian Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat.
Read MoreDeoxynivalenol (DON) is the major secondary metabolite produced by Fusarium graminearum. F. graminearum can infect cereals such as: wheat, durum, barley, rye and corn. This toxin can make the grain unmarketable for producers. This study examined methods to recover high quality (low DON) wheat and barley from infected seed lots.
Read MoreSpring wheat remains the most important crop in western Canada, with high-quality Canadian western red spring wheat accounting for about two-thirds of the total. Because of the short growing season, yields of spring wheat are generally lower than those obtained with winter wheat. In addition, a great deal of bread wheat grown in the northern regions of the Prairie Provinces is downgraded because it becomes frost-damaged before full maturity. Later maturing wheat can also be more difficult to harvest. Hence, early maturity is a desired trait to be incorporated (without compromising high yield and quality) into Canadian spring wheat.
Read MoreSoils are the largest terrestrial carbon sink on Earth and increasing soil organic carbon (SOC) content is a means of sequestering atmospheric CO2. Limited work has been done to examine the effect of long-term conservation agriculture management practices on the stability of SOC in prairie soils. The objective of this study was to assess the nature and permanence of sequestered SOC in contrasting Saskatchewan soils after 21 years of conservation management practices.
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