No abstract

Hwang, S. F., Ahmed, H. U., Turnbull, G. D., Gossen, B. D. and Strelkov, S. E. 2015. Effect of seeding date and depth, seed size and fungicide treatment on Fusarium and Pythium seedling blight of canola. Can. J. Plant Sci. 95: 293–301. Seedling blight has a substantial impact on stand establishment and productivity of canola (Brassica napus) on the Canadian prairies. The effects of seeding date, seed size, seeding depth, and seed treatment fungicides on seedling blight of canola caused by Fusarium avenaceum and Pythium ultimum were evaluated under field conditions. In the trials inoculated with P. ultimum, early seeding reduced seedling emergence and seed yield in all 3 yr of the study. However, the interaction of F. avenaceum with seeding date was not consistent; inoculation with F. avenaceum reduced seedling emergence in early seeded canola in 1 of 4 yr, but emergence was higher in early than in mid-seeded treatments in 2 yr and there was no difference among seeding dates in 1 yr. Late seeding reduced seed yield in 2 of 4 yr in the F. avenaceum study. Seed size and seeding depth generally did not have an effect on seedling establishment or seed yield for either pathogen. Seed treatment with Helix Xtra (thiamethoxam+difenconazole+metalaxyl+fludioxonil) and Prosper FX (clothianidin+carboxin+trifloxystrobin+metalaxyl) fungicides increased seedling emergence and yield compared with the F. avenaceum-inoculated control. Seed treatment with Helix Xtra also increased seedling emergence and seed yield compared with the P. ultimum-inoculated control. Manipulation of seeding date did not substantially improve stand establishment or yield of canola when inoculum pressure was high. Seed treatment was the most effective strategy for reducing losses caused by seedling blight of canola in fields infested with F. avenaceum or P. ultimum.

Hwang, S. F., Cao, T., Xiao, Q., Ahmed, H. U., Manolii, V. P., Turnbull, G. D., Gossen, B. D., Peng, G. and Strelkov, S. E. 2012. Effects of fungicide, seeding date and seedling age on clubroot severity, seedling emergence and yield of canola. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 1175–1186. The infestation of seeds by Plasmodiophora brassicae can result in the transmission of clubroot disease in canola. Five fungicides, including Dynasty 100 FS (azoxystrobin), Helix Xtra (thiamethoxam+difenoconazole+metataxyl+fludioxonil), NebijinTM 5SC (flusulfamide), Prosper FX (clothianidin+carbathiin+trifloxystrobin+metalaxyl), and Vitavax RS (carbathiin+thiram), were evaluated under greenhouse conditions using artificially infested canola seeds for their efficacy in eliminating seed-borne inoculum. All of the fungicides significantly reduced clubroot relative to the non-treated control, but NebijinTM 5SC and Dynasty 100 FS were the most effective. However, in field trials with Cruiser 5 FS (thiamethoxam), Helix Xtra, Dynasty, Prosper and Sedaxane (pyrazole anilide) applied alone or as a mixture, none of the treatments reduced clubroot severity or improved seedling emergence or yield compared with the insecticidal control (Cruiser 5 FS) in the susceptible cultivar. Clubroot severity was lower in early-seeded canola compared with the late-seeded crops in 2 site-years. The younger seedlings had greater disease severity and reduced plant height and yield than did older seedlings in both resistant and susceptible canola cultivars. We conclude that a combination of approaches including seed treatments and manipulation of seeding dates in conjunction with deployment of resistant cultivars is necessary for the sustainable management of clubroot in canola.

Chang, K. F., Conner, R. L., Hwang, S. F., Ahmed, H. U., McLaren, D. L., Gossen, B. D. and Turnbull, G. D. 2014. Effects of seed treatments and inoculum density of Fusarium avenaceum and Rhizoctonia solani on seedling blight and root rot of faba bean. Can. J. Plant Sci. 94: 693–700. Production of faba bean cultivars with tannin-free seed on the Canadian prairies has potential for use in human food and as a feedstock for livestock and aquaculture. However, root rot is a major constraint to production. The effects of fungicide seed treatments on root rot caused by Fusarium avenaceum and Rhizoctonia solani, and the effect of inoculum density on seedling emergence, nodulation, root rot severity and yield of faba bean were examined across 12 station years from 2009 to 2011 at sites in Manitoba and Alberta. Fusarium avenaceum reduced seedling emergence more than R.solani, but both pathogens had a similar impact on seed yield. The effects of inoculum density and seed treatment were generally significant for seedling emergence, root rot severity and seed yield for both pathogens. The interaction effects of inoculum density×seed treatment for F.avenaceum and R.solani were only significant for seed yield and seedling emergence. Seedling emergence and seed yield declined with increasing inoculum level for both F. avenaceum and R.solani. Fungicidal seed treatments with Apron Maxx (fludioxonil+metalaxyl) and Vitaflo 280 (carbathiin+thiram) consistently improved emergence and seed yield in trials inoculated with F.avenaceum or R.solani. This study demonstrated that seed treatment to manage root rot of faba bean is warranted.

Chang, K. F., Hwang, S. F., Ahmed, H. U., Gossen, B. D., Turnbull, G. D. and Strelkov, S. E. 2013. Management strategies to reduce losses caused by fusarium seedling blight of field pea. Can. J. Plant Sci. 93: 619–625. Fusarium seedling blight can cause substantial reductions in the stand density of field pea in western Canada. In greenhouse experiments, emergence decreased and root rot severity rose with increasing inoculum density. In field trials in 2007 and 2008 near Edmonton, AB, seeding at different depths and seeding dates did not consistently affect emergence or yield in Fusarium-infested soils. In field experiments, emergence declined significantly with each increase in inoculum level. Also, seed yield were reduced at high levels of disease pressure. Treatment of seed with Apron Maxx improved emergence, nodulation and yield of treatments challenged with inoculum of F. avenaceum in both greenhouse and field experiments. This research demonstrates the need to prevent seedling blight and root rot through proper seed treatment.