Summary prepared by Myriam Fernandez

Root and crown rot are important and widespread cereal diseases present in most parts of the world, and among the most damaging diseases of cereal crops in western Canada. Some of the pathogens commonly isolated from affected roots and crowns of wheat, barley, and oat in SK are Fusarium species, also responsible for Fusarium head blight in cereals.

by Myriam Fernandez, Ph. D.

In 2010, a tillage by rotation experiment was set up on three of the five acres. The objective of this first organic agronomic trial in the Brown soil zone is to investigate the impacts of tillage reduction and benefits of diversified crop rotations on weed control, soil fertility, crop production, diseases, rhizosphere microbial populations, carbon footprint, and economic returns under organic management and water-limited conditions in this semi-arid region.

A public lecture is taking place at the U of S on September 19th (Room 107 Physics Building). The speaker is Dr. Pamela Ronald from the University of California, Davis. She and her husband Raoul Adamchak (who runs the organic farming program at UC Davis), co-wrote a book called Tomorrow's Table: Organic Farming, Genetics and the Future of Food.

You are invited to join members of SOCA Organic Producers Association for a crop tour and picnic. The event will take place in the Alameda area.

For more information, contact any of the following: Harvey Buhr 306-746-4575, Dave Cook 306-782-1852 or Heather Thomas 306-486-4922.