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Project Abstract

Many diseases that infect and devastate crops are due to spores that are deposited in field by air currents. These diseases are often difficult to identify until it's too late to effectively prevent them.

A simple, low tech, and cost-effective warning system may be achieved through the use of commercially available, passive air filtering spore traps. When positioned around the field, the funnel directs air through the cartridge which catches the airborne fungal spores.

The cartridges are sent to a lab where they are analyzed for the presence of several pathogens. This can be used as an early warning system and allow farmers to be proactive and make decisions that are both economically and ecologically beneficial.

Project Details
Timeline 2020-2023
Principal Investigator: Lewis Baarda
Farming Smarter
Project Contact: Lewis Baarda
Funded By:

CAP (50%), Farming Smarter (21.9%), 20/20 Seed Labs (28.1%)

  • Numbers are approximate; the 50% industry contribution is shared mostly between Farming Smarter and 20/20 seed labs
  • Spornado has provided some spornado samplers, cassettes, and parts for the project.
  • 20/20 seed labs is contributing all required testing costs to the project.

Project Objectives

  • To determine optimal location within a field for spore trap placement.
  • To determine the number of traps required in a field.
  • To correlate spore testing results with weather conditions and disease incidence.
  • Share experiences through Farming Smarter Extension (KTT) Program.
  • To evaluate the Spornado passive spore trap as a decision support tool for managing crop pathogens including leaf/stem rust and fusarium head blight in wheat and sclerotinia/white mold in canola and dry beans.

Methods

Six Irrigated Fields
Two Wheat
Two Canola
Two Dry Bean


Spore Trap Locations
High risk area - low spot or previously known area of infection
Normal risk area - medium elevation and flat
Check - field edge

Testing Stages

Wheat - at jointing

Canola - at bolting

Dry Bean - at budding


Tested Pathogens
Puccinia striiformis (stripe rust)
Fusarium graminearum (fusarium head blight)
Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Sclerotinia/white mold)

Measurements

  • Cropping, disease history for previous three years
  • Install hobo stations at each location to measure precipitation, humidity, temperature, and wind
  • Plant stands at spore trap
  • Growth stage at two-week intervals
  • Spore trap installation based on previously mentioned locations
  • Laboratory analysis of cartridges via 20/20 Seed Labs Inc.
  • Disease rating at traps; 10 plants for 6 ratings during filter changes
  • 1m^2 biomass and yield at trap locations
  • Grain quality analysis for samples

Results

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