| Crop | Faba bean |
|---|---|
| Start Date | 2009 |
| End Date | 2012 |
| Principal Investigator | Conner, Robert , Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada |
| MPSG Financial Support | $32,000 |
| Report | Final-Report |
Research Objectives
To assess the impact of Fusarium root rot on emergence, nodulation, root rot and yield of faba bean.
Project Description
Zero-tannin faba bean has potential for use as human food and as a feedstock for aquaculture. Fusarium spp. are the predominant root rot pathogens of faba bean in Alberta. They infect taproots and destroy fibrous roots, resulting in stunting, wilting, and major yield losses. To help stabilize faba bean yields and protein production, we evaluated the interaction between seed treatment fungicides and pathogen inoculum levels to better understand the relationship between disease levels, nodulation and yield losses. This study was established in 2009 to determine the impact of inoculum concentrations of the pathogen F. avenaceum on the effectiveness of different seed treatment fungicides on root rot control in the tannin free faba bean cultivar Snowbird. At each field site, data was collected on seedling emergence, root rot severity, root nodulation and yield. The results from all four field sites indicated seedling emergence and yield generally declined with increases in F. avenaceum inoculum concentration, but its effecton root rot severity and nodulation were less consistent. Similarly, certain seed treatment fungicides were effective in improving seedling emergence and yield, but their influence on root rot severity and nodulation was more variable.