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Ontario Grain Farmer Magazine

Crop Protection Network: A collaborative resource to deliver field crop research results to farmers

Principal Investigator: Dave Hooker and Albert Tenuta

Research Institution: University of Guelph and Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness

Timeline: April 2021 to March 2023  

Objectives:

  • Expand the research update and webinar series to create stakeholder-friendly versions of research outputs and to make soybean check-off research results more accessible and applicable to farmer needs.
  • Expansion and maintenance of the Crop Protection Network (CPN) website, to better support collaborative efforts to further develop field crop protection resources and expand disciplines for the USA and Ontario, Canada.
  • Develop and expand the online soybean disease loss estimate tool.
  • Increase engagement of farmers, agronomists, extension specialists, and others with CPN resources, concentrating on promotion through existing Extension and Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) activities and social media.

Impacts:

  • The CPN provides the framework for swift coordinated responses to emerging diseases/disorders or contentious issues such as the 2020 tar spot confirmation in Ontario or the 2018 corn ear mould/DON epidemic. The creation of a single, peer-reviewed cooperative platform of research-based information is advantageous since integrated pest management (IPM) tactics used to manage these pests and production issues are similar across wide geographical regions.
  • The extension of the CPN network of researchers and trial locations will allow for early adoption of new management strategies, saving economic losses and increasing sustainability.
  • The CPN model has proven to boost stakeholder awareness and action against diseases/issues and creates a template for information that is easily recognized by farmers as an output created by Extension and supported by the check-off, including GFO, thereby promoting Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA) and GFO activities.

Scientific Summary:

Canada ranks as one of the major soybean, wheat and corn producing countries with a global reputation for quality and high yields. Unfortunately, yields, especially for soybeans, as well as corn and wheat, are reduced each year due to diseases resulting in unnecessary losses to the producer and the agriculture sector as a whole. For example, Ontario disease losses for soybeans from 2010 to 2019 averaged 13,274,894 bushels/year at $135,838,614 USD, corn from 2012 to 2019 averaged 26,342,640 bushel losses/year at $107,058,075 USD and for wheat in 2018 averaged 2,689,489 bushels at $13,877,761 USD (www.CropProtectionNetwork.org). This project aims to build on a previous GFO, North Central Soybean Research Program (NCSRP) and United Soybean Board project which established the innovative “Crop Protection Network” aimed specifically at improving disease awareness amongst producers and stakeholders, thereby reducing not only risk but most importantly economic losses.

The CPN serves as the infrastructure for large regional multi-state/Ontario field crop Extension outputs across the United States and Ontario. This network is composed of individuals in USA land grant universities and OMAFA in Ontario. Since 2015, the CPN has developed extension outputs with the goal of making research information freely accessible and relevant to farmers and industry. Some CPN tools include publications, foliar fungicide efficacy guides, annual disease loss estimates, training for field scouts, and a tool for Certified Crop Advisers (CCAs) to earn continuing education units. The CPN also provides an effective responsive infrastructure to quickly create Extension outputs that address current and timely farmer and industry needs.

The focus of this project was the expansion, maintenance, and development of new innovative tools such as the “foliar disease severity training tool” and new disciplines like entomology, thus adding insects to the CPN, to better support collaborative efforts and develop field crop protection resources applicable across wide geographic areas and disciplines for the USA and Ontario. The CPN model has been successful, with strong evidence of supporting collaboration among diverse groups in addressing regional crop production priorities and emerging issues such as the recent Ontario confirmation of tar spot in corn. Tar spot information and research results were proactively developed and available to OMAFA and GFO through the CPN to aid producers and calm stakeholder fears.

Results:

The results of this project convey important soybean, corn and cereal pest management research results, recommendations and information to farmers, agricultural industry, Extension workers and others. Continued work will be undertaken to develop and promote field crop pest management resources that involve multiple disciplines and that are widely applicable across Ontario and Canada as well as the growing regions in the USA. Multi-platform outreach consisting of webinars, videos, web tools, publications, partnerships, and social media will continue to provide needed pest management information in formats stakeholders commonly utilize.

For example, the fungicide foliar and seed treatment efficacy tables provide farmers and consultants with the best options based on their needs. These reliable disease ratings are based on research results from pathologists in Ontario and the USA and provides not only the most efficacious but most economically and environmentally beneficial choices as well. CPN information is constantly being updated and expanded to meet farmer, retailer, industry, and consultant needs as well as incorporated into OMAFA field crop recommendations and publications.

Provided below are some of initiatives and projects recently undertaken:

  1. Numerous publications, encyclopedia articles and other CPN resources developed (see Project Related Publications below).
  2. New CPN branding and logo launched February 2023.
  3. Increased focus on social media and CPN promotion in conjunction with new branding initiative. Engagement and awareness to drive new traffic to the website.
  4. 1,100 Certified Crop Advisor CEUs awarded by CPN during 2022. 2,073 exams taken.
  5. CPN TV launched on January 3rd, 2023, with 11 episodes produced by March 31, 2023.
  6. 41 episodes of CPN PODCAST “I See Dead Plants” have been produced and released.
  7. Partnered with “War Against Weeds” podcast, which released 30 episodes during 2022 and 15 to date in 2023.
  8. 8 new Virtual Crop Scouting School webinars added in 2023.
  9. New Biological Control Web Book in development with release set for fall 2023.
  10. Updated the Yield Loss Calculator with 2021 and 2022 corn, soybean, and wheat disease loss estimates.
  11. Since the inception of CPN it has received input from 215 specialists from 34 USA states as well as Ontario and Quebec, Canada.

External Funding Partners:

This project was funded in part by the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (the Partnership), a five-year (2018-2023), $3 billion investment by Canada’s federal, provincial, and territorial governments.

Project Related Publications:

Allen T., Mueller D., and Sisson A. 2023. Soybean disease loss estimates from the United States and Ontario, Canada – 2022. Crop Protection Network: April.

Bissonnette K., Faske T., Tenuta A. 2021. An Overview of Soybean Cyst Nematode. Crop Protection Network: April.

Bradley C., Allen T., Mueller D., Tenuta A., Mehl K. and Sisson A. 2022. Soybean disease loss estimates from the United States and Ontario, Canada – 2021. Crop Protection Network: April.

Friskop A., Bergstrom G., Bradley C., Kleczewski N., Marshall J., Smith D., Tenuta A., Wise K. 2021. An overview of Fusarium Head Blight. Crop Protection Network: November.

Friskop A., Mueller D., and Sisson A. 2022. Wheat disease loss estimates from the United States and Ontario, Canada – 2019. Crop Protection Network: May.

Friskop A., Mueller D., and Sisson A. 2022. Wheat disease loss estimates from the United States and Ontario, Canada – 2020. Crop Protection Network: May.

Friskop A., Mueller D., and Sisson A. 2022. Wheat disease loss estimates from the United States and Ontario, Canada – 2021. Crop Protection Network: May.

Isaacs J. 2021. Tar spot here to stay in Ontario. Top Crop Manager: December.

Mueller D., Wise K., Sisson A. 2022. Corn disease loss estimates from the United States and Ontario, Canada – 2021. Crop Protection Network: March.

Mueller D., Wise K., Sisson A. 2021. Corn disease loss estimates from the United States and Ontario, Canada – 2020. Crop Protection Network: March.

Onofre K.A. 2023. Fungicide efficacy for control of wheat diseases. Crop Protection Network: March.

Reisig D., Kesheimer K., Bateman N., Studebaker G., Meyer R., et. al. 2022. Corn invertebrate loss estimates from the United States and Ontario, Canada – 2021. Crop Protection Network: July.

Rocha L.F., Pimentel M.F., Bailey J., Wyciskalla T., Davidson D., Fakhoury A. and Bond J. 2023. The effect of wheat on soybean cyst nematode populations in double-cropping soybean production. Crop Protection Network: January.

Tekenko D., Chilvers M., Robertson A., Tenuta A., Smith D. 2021. Will a second fungicide be worth the cost for tar spot management? Crop Protection Network: August 19.

Tenuta A. 2021. Staying ahead of tar spot in corn. Top Crop Manager: August.

Webster R.W., Chibuogwu M.O., Reed H., Mueller B., Groves C.L., Tenuta A.U., Chilvers M.I., Wise K.A., Smith D. 2021. Disease development and deoxynivalenol accumulation in silage corn. Crop Protection Network: November.

Webster R., Roth M., Mueller B., Mueller D., Chilvers M., Telenko D., Willbur J., Mourtzinis S., Conley S., and Smith D. 2022. Modern integrated management practices for controlling white mold of soybean. Crop Protection Network: March.

Wise K. 2023. Fungicide efficacy for control of corn diseases. Crop Protection Network: February.

Wise K. 2023. Fungicide efficacy for control of soybean seedling diseases. Crop Protection Network: February.

Wise K. 2023. Fungicide efficacy for control of soybean foliar diseases. Crop Protection Network: February.

Wise K., Bergstrom G., Price T., Robertson A., Tenuta A. 2023. An overview of northern corn leaf blight. Crop Protection Network: April.

Wise K., Brewer M., Bradley C., Mueller D., Sisson A., Tenuta A., Allen T., et. al. 2021. Fungicides are more than a plant disease management tool. Crop Protection Network: October.

Wise K., Smith D., Freije A., Mueller S., Kandel Y.R., Allen T.W., Bradley C.A., et. al. 2021. Impact of foliar fungicide timing and fungicide class on corn yield response in the United States and Ontario, Canada. Crop Protection Network: March.

Wise K., Smith D., and Samac D. 2022. An overview of aphanomyces root rot. Crop Protection Network: May