Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives seeks grower assistance with furnishing samples for extension and research projects this summer.
One of the focuses at this year’s provincial Crop Diagnostic School at Carman, Man. in July will be diseases in alfalfa. It’s always preferable to be able to show live plants with disease symptoms, but MAFRI said in its recent disease and insect update publication it isn’t always “lucky” enough to have these diseases show up in its demonstration plots.
Manitoba growers can contact Holly Derksen or Glenn Friesen if they come across any disease issues in alfalfa stands this year.
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Derksen said the department hopes to show foliar diseases (leaf spots, stem blights) as well as root/crown diseases, which may be showing up as poor stands or wilting.
On the insect side, cutworms are needed for a project studying parasitism in Manitoba populations of cutworms. This project aims to gain a better understanding of cutworm parasitoids, and whether there are ways to create conditions to enhance levels of these parasitoids.
Provincial entomologists thus hope growers will let them know if they’re finding cutworms in their fields, by contacting either Barb Sharonowski at the University of Manitoba (204-474-7485) or MAFRI entomologist John Gavloski (204-745-5668). — AGCanada.com Network
