Alankrita Goswami, assistant professor, University of Manitoba

Coles Ag on November 3, 2023

Follow @alankrita10 on X (formerly Twitter).
Follow @alankrita10 on X (formerly Twitter).

Alankrita Goswami is an assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness at the University of Manitoba (U of M). She holds a master’s in rural management, an engineering degree in biotechnology and a PhD in agricultural and applied economics from the University of Georgia. Goswami lives in Winnipeg and works at the U of M Fort Garry campus.

Where did you work before the U of M?

I was working as a PhD student for four years at the University of Georgia in the United States, and then I came to Canada to work at the U of M.

What got you interested in this area of work?

Economics always interested me. I was doing my engineering degree in biotechnology back in India and in my third year I wanted to be in a workspace where I could somehow contribute to the community. There is a tradition of teaching in my family, both my mother and grandmother are teachers and many of my aunts are teachers.

With an original interest in contributing to the rural community in India, I went for an MBA with a specialization in rural management. It was a very structured program where I had three internship components and got to live and work in different villages.

This shifted my areas of focus from biotech to rural management, and then I started as a pre-doc at the International Water Management Institute-TATA Policy program in India. This got me into agricultural economics as I began looking into irrigation and how it contributes to the ag economy back in India. Then the transition was complete – I began my PhD after that.

Tell us a bit about what you’re working on at the U of M.

In terms of teaching, last semester I taught the agricultural marketing course and this semester I am teaching applied econometrics.

My PhD dissertation chapters were on U.S. agricultural futures markets. My research was mostly geared towards looking at futures markets as a risk management tool for farmers and their effectiveness, especially during anomalies such as what we call non-convergence in the markets. This is when the futures markets are not aligning with the cash markets and dissecting what the possible reason(s) could be.

Futures markets, by design, incorporate not just current supply-related information in prices, but also related to future supplies. In a current project, I am looking at the interconnectedness of markets such as Canadian canola and U.S. soybean oil in the context of anticipation of future supply shocks.

We are studying the transmission of the impacts of expectations of future supply shocks from one market to the other. This will help us understand how these markets are interconnected with each other through the market expectations channel. By conducting such research exercises we intend to distill information on what future supply disruptions mean in context of farmers’ risk management strategies involving futures markets. We also intend to extend this work to include impact of anticipation of future supply disruptions in livestock markets.

Another area I’ve started into is microstructure of agricultural futures markets. At the microstructure level of agricultural markets, we aim to study the traits of the market at a higher time resolution (such as nanoseconds). Understanding market activity at such a micro level can be key to distilling information on aggregate trading behaviour of ag-market participants. Such information can be of utility to users of ag futures, such as farmers, ag businesses, etc. By studying micro-level details of ag-futures markets, I will aim to translate learnings from this work into information of practical utility for the users through a series of technical bulletins.

What can you say about the value of farmers providing funding and support to your organization?

Such funding is of great help to researchers like me who want to contribute to the agricultural community through our work. It provides the opportunity to leverage resources to study issues plaguing the agrarian landscape and come up with solutions to such issues.

How does that farmer funding and support directly benefit farmers?

The extension-centric work in the coming months will be very important. Technical bulletins aimed at the farming community for example, be it the work on looking at anticipations of supply shocks on ag markets or be it this very aspect of looking at the market at a very micro level, I want to translate the information generated from my work into practical utility for farmers.

 How do you spend your time outside of work?

I have always been a voracious reader. I like running and I am hoping to get back into painting this winter. I like to go back to a memory, think of something and paint it. 

What is the best part about your job?

I love research. I like to inspect things and dissect social issues that might be impacting the agricultural economy, and I like engaging with farming communities. Agricultural policy also interests me and my job is a mix of everything I love, including teaching.

What is your favourite food or meal to cook?

I love Italian food. My mother is a very good cook and she would always be preparing it in so much detail, and when you watch a person prepare food with that much love and attention to detail, it gives you the feeling they are creating something important. She really got me hooked on Italian food.

Follow @alankrita10 on X (formerly Twitter).

Flax Diseases: A 2023 Overview

Coles Ag on October 10, 2023

Pasmo is the primary disease of concern in flax in Manitoba and has a regular seat at the table. Severity ranges from year to year and depends on how early symptoms start to show, but it can have significant effects on yield.

The fungus is both residue- and seed-borne, so best management practices include crop rotation, using clean seed, seeding early and fungicide use, which relies heavily on ideal timing. Keeping fields weed-free is another management practice that also benefits yields via disease prevention. Keeping inter-rows clean enables drying winds to pass through the crop easily and deter fungi or bacteria from setting, but also gets rid of other disease hosts that could enable infection of the crop.

Manitoba Crop Alliance, in partnership with SaskFlax, performs an annual flax disease survey on representative acres in Manitoba. It was uncharacteristically dry in Manitoba in 2023, which led industry members to believe disease pressure would likely be quite low across most crops and mundane disease surveys were to follow.

Pasmo and Aster Yellows were the main diseases of interests this year, but it isn’t yet known how they impacted yield. Pasmo ranged in incidence in-field from 0 – 42 per cent, with severity being as high as 75 per cent in the hardest-hit flax crops. Some flax crops were fortunate to have zero incidence of the disease, most likely due to thinner stands and drier conditions during the season.

Pasmo-infected flax stalk.

Aster Yellows were not significant, but in fields that were affected, it was easy to spot the damage and yield will have been impacted in diseased patches. This is a very random disease, infecting plants that have been fed on by aster leafhoppers that are specifically infected by the aster yellow phytoplasma. Aster yellows affect many different crops, with canola being the most economically significant in Manitoba. Aster leafhoppers are sucking insects that transmit aster yellow phytoplasma directly into the phloem of a healthy flax plant, thereby infecting that plant. Damage is evident in misshapen or unproductive bolls.

Flax aster yellows.

In preparation for the 2024 flax crop, farmers will want to follow some key tips for disease prevention:

  • Use clean seed
  • Diversify crop rotation
  • Use seed treatments
  • Keep fields weed-free

For more information on growing flax on the Prairies, see Flax Production Resources on our website.

Corn Facts: Drought and Harvest 2023

Coles Ag on October 10, 2023

Drought conditions seriously threatened the 2023 grain corn crop in Manitoba. From planting until mid-September, many local fields remained depleted of adequate moisture to support good corn growth and development. As harvest occurs, it is easy to see where the drought impacted yields the most and where crops were graced with timely rains and have succeeded in yielding well.

The following are some facts that help tell the story of 2023 and why some fields were affected more than others:

  • Nodal root development and functionality is reliant on soil moisture. At a shallow depth of 0.75 inches, if soil moisture is not available, the roots cannot properly establish, extract soil water or nutrients, or support upright growth of the corn plant.
  • Corn leaves roll and appear pineapple- or onion-like in response to heat and drought. This decreases the surface area exposed to sunlight and reduces transpiration. Unfortunately, it also reduces photosynthetic activity in the plant, which impacts both maturity and yield.
  • Kernel rows per ear have been said to be determined by V6. Number of rows is determined more by genetics than by environment.
  • Kernels per row are determined from about V7 to a week prior to silking. This development is vulnerable to environmental stresses.

Figure 1. Corn water demand by growth stage.
Credit: Golden Harvest Seeds.

  • Drought stress has a major impact during the V13 to silking (R1) stages of corn development. Water demand is at its peak during this time, so drought and heat stress negatively impact reproduction. 
  • Silks initiate elongation from the kernels around seven days prior to silking. Drought stress can slow elongation, delaying silk emergence or even causing failure of silks to emerge from the husk. Successful emergence of silks is then threatened by moisture and heat stress, which may desiccate silks and make them unviable to pollen shed.
  • Adversely, drought stress speeds up pollen shed. Silk emergence and pollen shed may not sync, which means pollination potential is not met.
  • Water demand remains high during the remainder of the reproductive stages and is required for proper grain development and fill.
  • Drought stress can affect a corn plant’s ability to fill grain properly. As the plant begins to shut down and senesce, it is moving all its sugars and reserves to the grain to fill to its maximum. This process may be cut off by environmental factors, commonly including a severe frost.
  • Prolonged environmental stress will lead to premature physiological maturity. The lack of moisture tells the plant to go into survival mode and fill grain with its remaining energy and reserves (mentioned above). This enables the plant to shut down from the ground up and eventually reach R6 (physiological maturity). The grain begins to dry down from this point on.
  • Stalk diseases may be present, regardless of drought conditions during the growing season. Harvest affected fields first to avoid heavy winds and lodging losses.

Gibberella stalk rot on corn stalk.
Credit: Pioneer.

  • Ear moulds may be present, regardless of drought conditions during the growing season. Harvest affected fields first to avoid spread of disease on cobs and quality concerns.

Fusarium Ear Mould.

REFERENCES:

The value and importance of seed testing

Coles Ag on October 4, 2023

If you are planning on saving seed for next year’s crop, seed testing should be considered, as weather conditions from the year the seed was grown, such as precipitation and heat, affect seed quality. Seed testing in the fall can provide growers with useful information that can save them both time and money – allowing them to plan for next year’s growing season with greater certainty.

Typically, seed tests evaluate variables such as germination, thousand kernel weight, vigour and seed-borne diseases. Understanding these variables is important when making seeding management decisions, as seeds with poor germination and vigour or those that contain seed diseases can negatively impact crop establishment, uniformity and health. This will ultimately affect yield.

Information collected from seed tests is also integral to achieving your desired plant population, as thousand kernel weight should be used to determine optimal seeding rates. Additionally, understanding seed germination and vigour can give you a better gauge of expected seed survival and how the seed will perform in the spring.

Germination tests evaluate the percentage of seeds likely to develop or germinate under optimal moisture, light and temperature conditions. Vigour tests are similar but provide information regarding the ability for seeds to produce normal seedings in suboptimal conditions. Cold stress tests are often used to determine this, although there are multiple vigour testing protocols used by labs. Vigour testing is important, as seed vigour usually drops before the seeds ability to germinate does. More information about calculating seeding rates can be found here.

It’s important to note that long periods of storage can affect seed quality. For example, both germination and vigour levels can decrease during winter storage. Therefore, secondary seed testing in early spring may also be necessary. More information about seed testing and seed test interpretation can be found here.

The following labs conduct seed testing:

 

Stephen Crittenden, research scientist, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Coles Ag on October 3, 2023

Follow @Steve_Crittende on X (formerly Twitter).
Follow @Steve_Crittende on X (formerly Twitter).

Stephen Crittenden is a research scientist in soil health and nutrient management, as well as lead of the Soil, Water, and Crop Production Science team, at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) Brandon Research and Development Centre (RDC). He grew up in Collingwood, ON, and has worked in several countries, gaining a unique understanding of agricultural practices around the world.

Crittenden completed his master’s at the University of Guelph and his post-doctoral work at Cornell University in New York State. He spent time working in Rome and France before completing his PhD at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, where he worked on tillage systems and soil quality.

Crittenden now calls Brandon home, where he lives with his wife and two kids.

What is the best part about your job?

I take being a public servant seriously. Whether it’s communicating with media, commodity groups or farmers, or trying to produce science-based information, it’s incredibly gratifying. That is where I see my role, trying to produce science-based information that will benefit Canadian farmers.

What got you interested in this area of work?

Soil health is a topic that came up over and over from farmers in Manitoba. People wanted to know what soil health information is important and what is relevant for their farm, how they can measure indicators themselves or, if working with a commercial lab, what indicators would be most relevant.

I really got interested in focusing on soil health here in Manitoba because that’s what I kept hearing was important to farmers.

Tell us a bit about what you’re working on at the Brandon RDC.

I’m a scientist, but I’m also lead of the Soil, Water, and Crop Production team. A big part of my role is facilitating the work of the team as a whole. We have hydrology and agrometeorology, we have some hydrological modelers, soil crop modeling, agronomy and economics.

We have a number of technicians working and running trials, taking samples and collecting data in the field, and we have technical staff in the labs working on plant and soil nutrient analysis, enabling us to track nutrients in all of these disciplines.

As a scientist, my role is to ask those fundamental questions that are relevant to Canadian farmers and to try to answer them in a science-based way. This could be through writing funding proposals, data analysis or working on reports or manuscripts.

In a project funded by Manitoba Crop Alliance (Manitoba Corn Growers Association prior to the amalgamation) and Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers, we looked at the utility of soil health indicators for yield and protein in corn, soybeans and canola. We are currently working on the analysis, but the tried-and-true indicators (spring soil nitrate tests, soil organic matter or phosphate tests) are still proving to be quite useful to differentiate between management systems and correlate relatively well with yield and protein.

What can you say about the value of farmers providing funding and support to your organization?

It is pivotal. I heard from farmers that soil health was one of the priorities they felt they wanted to better understand, which has directed the focus of my work. Working with the commodity groups gives us confirmation that the questions we are asking and what we are trying to accomplish is beneficial for farmers.

How does that farmer funding and support directly benefit farmers?

Soil health can provide a good foundation, literally and figuratively, for good crop performance. If a farmer is going to invest in soil testing, the work we are doing can help you pick which soil health indicators are relevant for your crop yield and protein.

An old adage that used to hang on a professor’s door at the University of Guelph said, “Soil test, don’t guess.” You can get a lot of information relatively easily with a soil test or two.

How do you spend your time outside of work?

Chasing after my two kids!

What gets you excited about work?

One thing I will mention is social media. I love reading all the posts about planting or harvest progress, current issues or other concerns relating to my work – from farmers and commodity groups to ag media. It’s not just about me trying to share what I’m doing, it’s very much about learning what else is going on in the industry and, indeed, trying to focus my work on what would be relevant for farmers. I have found it to be a beneficial tool.

What are you excited about for the future of agriculture?

Trying to provide updated and useful information farmers can base their decisions on. One new method we are working on is called soil spectroscopy. It’s infrared spectroscopy: you basically shine infrared light on soil and can get a lot of information about carbon, texture and salinity. We are trying to expand the number of properties we can predict with spectroscopy.

All our work is with the aim of trying to better our soil testing methods and regimes, and the information we provide to farmers. In a nutshell, that’s what gets me excited about the future – updating the fertility aspect of it, developing new indicators or understanding indicators that are out there, or trying to find new methods to do soil testing.

Follow @Steve_Crittende on X (formerly Twitter).

Most seeded winter wheat varieties in Manitoba – 2023

Coles Ag on September 12, 2023

The Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC) has released its 2023 Variety Market Share Report. This report breaks down the number of acres seeded to each crop type in Manitoba. As well, the relative percentage of acres each variety was seeded on within each crop type is reported. This information is useful to understand overall production patterns in Manitoba. A link to the 2023 report can be found here. Furthermore, 2023 results from the winter wheat sites of the Manitoba Crop Variety Evaluation Trials (MCVET) have been published. Results can be found here.

It is important to note that farmer members’ dollars directly contributed to the plant breeding research activities which were instrumental in the development of the top winter wheat varieties.  

Select Take Aways

A small number of Winter Wheat acres were seeded again in 2023, with approximately 59 thousand acres seeded. This is up slightly from 2022 and up over 20 thousand acres from 2021. The top six varieties by percentage acres seeded are listed in Table 1, but 12 varieties were listed in this year’s MASC Variety Market Share Report. All top six seeded varieties are Canada Western Red Winter (CWRW) wheat.

Table 1. 2023 top six winter wheat varieties by percent seeded acres in Manitoba.

Variety

Wheat Class

Yield (bu/ac)**

Relative Maturity**

Lodging**

Relative Winter Hardiness**

FHB Resistance**

Relative Acreage (%)*

AAC Wildfire

CWRW

89

Late

Good

Very Good

Moderately Resistant

 

43.2

Emerson

CWRW

83

Medium

Very Good

 

Good

Resistant

22.2

AAC Goldrush

 

CWRW

82

Medium

Good

Very Good

Intermediate

12.5

AAC Gateway

 

CWRW

82

Medium

Very Good

Fair

Intermediate

5.8

AAC Elevate

 

CWRW

81

Medium

Very Good

Good

Intermediate

5.2

AAC Vortex

CWRW

87

Medium

Very Good

Very Good

Moderately Resistant

4.4

Note: * Data obtained from MASC 2023 Variety Market Share Report. ** Data obtained from the 2023 MCVET Winter Wheat and Fall Rye report. Fusarium Head Blight; FHB.

AAC Wildfire was the top seeded winter wheat variety, occupying 43.2 per cent of seeded winter wheat acres. This is an increase of just over 14 per cent from 2022. AAC Wildfire was registered in 2015 and is a late maturing CWRW variety. AAC Goldrush, which was registered in 2016, also increased in percentage of acres seeded, increasing by three per cent from 2022. AAC Vortex, which was registered in 2021, was seeded on over four per cent of acres in 2023. There were no reported acres of AAC Vortex in the 2022 MASC Variety Market Share Report.

Emerson, which has a fusarium head blight rating of ‘resistant’, has been the most seeded variety in Manitoba for several years. However, its acreage has dropped just over 14 per cent from 2022. A similar trend was seen in AAC Gateway, which dropped from 16.1 per cent in 2022, to just over five per cent in 2023. AAC Elevate remained steady from 2022 to 2023, at just over five per cent of seeded acres.

The Seed Manitoba Variety Selection and Growers Source Guide should be consulted when making variety selections.

Aaron Beattie, Chair in Barley and Oat Breeding and Genetics, University of Saskatchewan Crop Development Centre

Coles Ag on August 25, 2023

Follow @CDC_USask on Twitter.
Follow @CDC_USask on Twitter.

Aaron Beattie completed his undergraduate science degree at the University of Waterloo, his master’s in plant breeding at the University of Guelph and his PhD in plant pathology at the University of Saskatchewan. He grew up in Saskatchewan and currently lives in Saskatoon.

Where did you work before the Crop Development Centre (CDC)?

I worked at Southern Seed Technology, a winter nursery in New Zealand for about a year. This is the nursery we collaborate with and send our barley to in the winter. Prior to that, I was working in the dry bean breeding program at the University of Guelph.

What got you interested in this area of work?

My background from my undergrad was biology and genetics. When I finished my undergrad, I knew I liked genetics, but I wanted to do something that wasn’t pure research. That’s where plant breeding made sense because it leans heavily on genetics and various aspects of biology, but it has that applied piece as well. That helped me make my decision to go to the University of Guelph. My thesis was focused on plant breeding and I continued in that area afterwards in my work. I came back to Saskatchewan for school, and eventually landed my current job.

Tell us a bit about what you’re working on at the CDC.

The summer is busy between running tours for the barley and oat programs for farmers and funders, doing selections in the field and keeping my crew organized leading into harvest. Teaching is a big part of my winter, as well as evaluating data we collect from the fields in the summer and organizing our winter work, such as the quality and molecular data. I’ve got four graduate students working at the moment, and we have a lot of industry interactions.

In terms of research, one project we are working on, Phenotyping and Genomic selection for improved barley Deoxynivalenol (DON) resistance, is funded by Manitoba Crop Alliance, SaskBarley, Alberta Grains and Western Grains Research Foundation. This project deals with trying to get a better handle on fusarium resistance in barley, which the barley research community has made a lot of good progress towards over the past 20 years.

This project aims to develop genomic tools to help me select for better resistance. We’re working closely with James Tucker at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Brandon. We send him a few thousand lines every year and he evaluates them for DON and fusarium resistance. We are also genotyping these lines to create prediction models for fusarium resistance.

Eventually, we hope to develop a way to select for better DON resistance using genomic tools early on in our breeding program, and evaluate only those lines that we think have better resistance in the nursery as a means to confirm the better resistance.

What can you say about the value of farmers providing funding and support to your organization?

The work we do as breeders spans fairly large periods of time. You’ve likely heard that it is an eight-to-10-year process to go from a cross to moving forward a variety. Funding from farmers is key to our program, as well as to other barley breeding programs in Western Canada because it allows us to make long-term plans. It allows us to test more, which means we have a higher probability of producing something better in the future.

How does that farmer funding and support directly benefit farmers?

It allows farmers to have a voice in terms of what we do, which is critical. Hearing new ideas from farmers based on things they are seeing in the field is invaluable. We try to listen to the whole value chain, and farmers are at the start of that chain. They need to be engaged in the process because we want them to see value in our work and keep barley in their rotation.

How do you spend your time outside of work?

I coach and play hockey.

What is the best part about your job?

I like the idea that what I do is practical to people. The idea that you can take research and translate it into something that has value to other people is rewarding. Also, it’s a very nice community to work in. There are a lot of very engaged and enthusiastic people in agriculture and a lot of innovation. People are willing to incorporate new ideas – I really like that about the industry.

What gets you most excited about your work?

Interacting with people across quite a wide range of disciplines; researchers all the way to the end users and farmers. Having that diversity of viewpoints is quite interesting, and then trying to figure out how to make it all come together into a variety. It’s fun to go through that process and interact along the way with people influencing your end goals.

Follow @CDC_USask on Twitter.

Carbine Insecticide – Emergency Use Registration Approved for Use on Lygus Bug in Confection Sunflowers in Manitoba

Coles Ag on July 27, 2023

Manitoba Agriculture, Manitoba Crop Alliance and FMC Canada are pleased to announce that Carbine insecticide has been approved for use to control lygus bug in confection sunflowers in Manitoba.

The need for an emergency use registration was identified in the wake of the re-evaluation of lambda-cyhalothrin product use in Canada, which left a void in lygus bug control in confection sunflowers. This insect pest is a serious economic threat to human consumption market confection sunflowers.

Lygus nymph and adult.

Lygus bug feed on developing sunflower seeds, which can cause kernel brown spot, a physical scar on the bare seed, and a bitter taste when consumed. Sunflower processors allow only 0.5 per cent damage in physical product. Since tolerance is at an absolute minimum, confection sunflower farmers need an insecticide product to control lygus bug to maintain the quality that is so highly demanded.

Lygus bugs can damage 30 to 35 seeds per head per adult. With the industry standard allowing for a maximum of 0.5 per cent kernel brown spot, the economic threshold for lygus bugs on sunflowers is about one lygus bug per nine heads. In research trials, damage to sunflower heads was approximately twice as severe when infestations occurred at late bud and early bloom compared to stages when heads had completed flowering. Thus, lygus bug management should be initiated prior to or at the beginning of the bloom stage if adult densities approach the economic threshold. Also, fields should be monitored for lygus bugs until flowering is complete to reduce incidence of kernel brown spot damage to confection sunflowers.

Please note that confectionary sunflower farmers interested in using Carbine on their sunflowers are recommended to contact their ag retailer as soon as possible to allow for timely delivery in case there is no local stock available.

Here are key details regarding the Carbine insecticide Emergency Use Registration:

  • Carbine® insecticide is registered for control of lygus bugs (Lygus spp.) on confection sunflowers in Manitoba from July 21, 2023 until July 20, 2024.
  • This emergency use is for Manitoba confection sunflowers only with intended sell-in markets of Canada or the U.S. Please confirm this with end purchaser prior to application.
  • This emergency use is not for oilseed sunflowers, as maximum residue levels are not set in other countries where oilseed sunflowers might be sold.

What you need to know about Carbine® insecticide:

  • Application Rate: 81 grams/acre (20 acres per 1.587kg jug); maximum of three applications per year.
  • The emergency use covers both air and ground application.
  • Application Water Volume: Thorough spray coverage essential for optimum control. Apply in sufficient water to ensure good coverage (min. of 50 L/ha for ground; 30 L/ha for air). Finished spray volumes should be increased when plant foliage is dense.
  • What to expect: Carbine® insecticide will stop lygus bug feeding rapidly and irreversibly, but it may take several days to see a reduction in lygus bug numbers, as they take time to desiccate. They will not be causing damage in this time.

Please contact your local FMC Account Manager for more information.

Dilantha Fernando, professor and dean of studies, University of Manitoba

Coles Ag on July 18, 2023

Connect with Dilantha Fernando on LinkedIn.
Connect with Dilantha Fernando on LinkedIn.

Dilantha Fernando is a professor in the Department of Plant Science at the University of Manitoba (UM) and dean of studies at UM’s St. Paul’s College. Dilantha was born in Sri Lanka where he completed a bachelor of science in botany with a chemistry minor, as well as a master’s in microbiology. He then moved to the U.S. and completed his PhD in plant pathology at Oregon State University.

Fernando has been recognized with several prestigious awards for his work in research and teaching. He is an editor of six journals, including two where he is editor in chief. He lives in Winnipeg with his wife, who is also a researcher, and the two youngest of their three sons.

Where did you work before UM?

I have been very fortunate to have had work opportunities in many places. After completing my PhD, I held a postdoctoral position at the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines, where I worked on rice diseases. Next, I was presented the opportunity to come to McGill University as a postdoctoral fellow, which brought me back to North America.

After McGill, I held postdoctoral positions with the University of Arizona, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Ottawa Research and Development Centre (where I first worked on fusarium head blight) and Michigan State University. I then accepted a full-time position with UM.

What got you interested in this area of work?

While doing a degree in botany, one must have that moment of realization: “This is what I want to do.” I was not going to be a top scientist looking at plants, I was more fascinated by what I could not see – the bacteria, the viruses, the fungi. My microbiology research was entirely on bacterial microbiology. I became fascinated with how a single cell of a bacterium can do so much – good or bad. That’s where it all started, with my background and fascination with microbiology.

Tell us a bit about what you’re working on at UM.

I begin my days very early. I generally wake up around 5 a.m. to do any editing work and catch up on emails with a nice cup of Sri Lankan tea, before sending the kids off to school. In my office which is beside both of my labs, I spend time with my graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, working on research papers, developing new ideas and writing proposals and reports, before heading to St. Paul’s for the afternoon to do administrative work.

I teach two courses: plant disease management in the fall and the epidemiology of plant diseases in the winter. I also work with graduate and post-graduate students in the lab. This is one of the best parts of my job, mentoring students through research.

In research, I focus mostly on canola and cereal diseases. I have been working on Fusarium in wheat and barley, and training post docs in this area. The population structure of Fusarium pathogens of small grain cereals, their distribution and relationship to mycotoxins research is funded by Manitoba Crop Alliance, Western Grains Research Foundation, Alberta Wheat Commission, Brewing and Malting Barley Research Institute, SaskBarley and Sask Wheat.

In this research we are looking at the western Canadian cline, or the way the pathogens are moving, and how that is impacting farmers. Our studies are also looking at how different chemotypes can impact the cereals.

Building on this opportunity, we have received thousands of isolates from different sources, including scientists in the east and in Ontario, enabling us to do several studies and make comparisons, which is very important. With these isolates, we are starting to see differences and to understand why a certain area might be getting less or more disease pressure. One of the key questions we are interested in is to understand why the 3A-DON chemotype is displacing the 15A-DON chemotype.

What can you say about the value of farmers providing funding and support to your organization?

The funding farmers give to support any research is so important. If you have good ideas and you want to help the world, to execute those ideas you need funding. It enables us to train highly qualified personnel and to answer farmers’ key questions that can only be answered through doing the research.

In our lab, we as researchers have a moral obligation to provide applicable results back to farmers.

How does that farmer funding and support directly benefit farmers?

The direct benefit a farmer would see in the type of research I do on Fusarium is increased yields and decreased loss of quality. Because of that, farmers will gain a lot of opportunity at the trade level.

Safeguarding their fields is another direct benefit, because if they know how to reduce the inoculum of any fungus, any pathogen, they are going to have a better opportunity the next season with less inoculum of the pathogen in their fields.

How do you spend your time outside of work?

I have a very busy lifestyle. My biggest hobby seems to be family and keeping in touch with friends, which has been a pleasure, especially when I am travelling. When I travel overseas, I always have somebody to meet up with, and some of those friendships have continued for more than 40 years.

What are you excited about for the future of agriculture?

This is a discussion we have at home because we feel very proud to work in agriculture. There are industries that come and go or change, but everyone in the world has to eat. Our land is not going to grow, but the population is.

So, we have to find new techniques to improve production, with less diseases, higher yields and high quality. I think agriculture is going to be one of the most desired industries also from a work standpoint where there will be more opportunities for people trained in agriculture to find jobs.

Who or what inspires you?

I give the highest credit to my parents. Both my brother and I were interested in playing sports, but my parents told us, “If you want to play sports, you have to be really good to be someone in the sports world. If you have an education, you can go a long way.”

I loved doing science and up until my PhD I had never worked in agriculture, but that opened up a new area that got me excited.

Connect with Dilantha Fernando on LinkedIn.

Manitoba Crop Alliance Demonstrates Commitment to Agriculture Education with $185,000 Multi-Year Funding for Agriculture in the Classroom-Manitoba

Coles Ag on July 17, 2023

***** News Release from Agriculture in the Classroom-Manitoba *****

July 17, 2023 (Winnipeg, MB) – Agriculture in the Classroom-Manitoba (AITC-M) is thrilled to announce an extraordinary multi-year funding commitment from Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA), a prominent partner dedicated to enhancing agricultural literacy across Manitoba. MCA has pledged $185,000 to support AITC-M over the next three years, solidifying their position as a champion of agriculture education in the region.

“This remarkable investment by Manitoba Crop Alliance fills us with excitement and gratitude, “says Katharine Cherewyk, Executive Director of AITC-M. “Multi-year funding commitments empower us to chart an ambitious and strategic growth plan that addresses crucial areas: reducing teacher wait lists, developing new high-quality learning kits, and measuring our impact of public trust through programs and resources.”

AITC-M envisions a future where students possess the critical thinking skills to evaluate agriculture, explore exciting career prospects, and make informed decisions that contribute to the success of the agri-food industry. MCA shares this vision, making their commitment even more meaningful.

“We are proud to support the outstanding work AITC-M does to teach students about our vibrant and vital industry,” says MCA CEO Pam de Rocquigny. “This multi-year commitment reflects our belief in the value of agriculture education and the importance of maintaining and expanding these valuable programs and resource offerings.”

As a foundational sponsor, MCA has played a vital role in the development of popular AITC-M resources. Their support has made resources like the Manitoba Seed Kit possible — an engaging, hands-on tool designed for Grade 3-6 classrooms to introduce students to the diversity of crops grown in Manitoba. Additionally, their expertise was critical to the creation of the Foundations of Manitoba Agriculture virtual resource hub — a comprehensive collection of interactive courses and information sheets for K-12 classrooms, fostering a meaningful connection to food and where it comes from.

The multi-year commitment will start during the 2023/24 financial year and extend until 2025/26, ensuring sustained support for AITC-M’s mission. As we celebrate this significant investment from MCA, we encourage other organizations to follow suit and make multi-year commitments that drive the advancement of agriculture education.

To learn more about Agriculture in the Classroom-Manitoba and its transformative initiatives, please visit aitc.mb.ca. For additional information about MCA, please visit mbcropalliance.ca.

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TO ARRANGE AN INTERVIEW, CONTACT:

John Gaudes
Communications Manager
Agriculture in the Classroom-Manitoba
204-297-6259
john@aitc.mb.ca

Cole Christensen
Communications Manager
Manitoba Crop Alliance
403-589-3529
cole@mbcropalliance.ca

About AITC-M:
Agriculture in the Classroom-Manitoba connects educators and students from K to 12 with curriculum-based programs, learning activities and educational resources designed to learn more about the important role agriculture plays in their everyday lives. AITC-M has been in operation since 1988 and is a member of Agriculture in the Classroom-Canada.

About Manitoba Crop Alliance:
Manitoba Crop Alliance is a non-profit organization established Aug. 1, 2020, representing over 7,700 farmer members. Manitoba Crop Alliance puts their farmer members first and strives to continuously improve the competitiveness and profitability of all crops represented by the organization by focusing on four main areas: research, agronomy, market access and development, and communications. It is through investment in these key areas that Manitoba Crop Alliance can ensure wheat, barley, corn, sunflower and flax are sustainable production choices for Manitoba farmers. For more information, visit mbcropalliance.ca.

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