Fusarium In My Wheat Seed?

Quality seed always gives the crop the best start. Unfortunately, when the crop gets hit with widespread fusarium, lots of questions roll in about using this for seed.

Fusarium in the sample reduces emergence and vigour of untreated seed. Seeds that carry the infection from harvest will generally die from fusarium seedling blight. This seedling blight can often spread to neighbouring plants, that rarely die, but have reduced vigour and yield.

Seed treatments will control seed borne fusarium. In 2002 and 2003 trials (with very little fusarium damage), both Dividend and Vitaflo improved emergence significantly (Table 1). This increase will likely be even more pronounced this year, with fusarium a more common problem.

It often takes slightly higher rates of seed treatments with excellent coverage to give complete control of seed-borne fusarium. This is not the year to skimp on seed treatment. A general suggestion would be to increase seed treatment rates by 25% from the lowest label rate when treating seed with significant fusarium (wheat downgraded to feed).

Some growers continue to plant untreated wheat seed. In fact, it is estimated that as high as 10% of the winter wheat crop is planted without seed treatment. Know the risk! Common bunt or dwarf bunt can make your entire crop unmarketable. Loose smut can reduce yields by as much as 50%.

Do the math! If treated seed has 5% better emergence, then you can use 5% less seed. It makes the bunt and smut control you get from seed treatments pretty cheap insurance. The bottom line - TREAT THAT SEED!

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