Interested Members of the University Community are invited to attend the Final Oral Examination for the or Degree of Master of Science of Ruoxi Xia of the Department of Plant Agriculture

Monday, May 6th at 1:00 PM
Room 131, Pestell Student Service Centre, Ridgetown Campus
Available in Guelph via intercom in Room 202, Crop Science Building

Thesis Title: Economic impact of the improvements on Fusarium head blight management in winter wheat in relation to modernization of agronomic practices

Advisory Committee 
 Dr. Art Schaafsnam Advisor
Dr. David Hooker, Co-Advisor
Dr. Felicia Wu

Examination Committee
Dr. Darren Robinson, Chair
Sr. Lily Tamburic, External Examiner
Dr. David Hooker                                                                                                           

ABSTRACT

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is an important disease of wheat that causes significant economic losses. Since a major FHB epidemic in Ontario in 1996, FHB management strategies, namely genetic resistance and fungicides have improved significantly. The value of these improvements along with the modernization of agronomic practices was uncertain. Field experiments were conducted in 2017 and 2018 to estimate the impacts of these improvements to FHB suppression and wheat performance. Moderately resistant cultivars and fungicides in combination reduced total deoxynivalenol by 67%, Fusarium-damaged kernel by 49%, FHB index by 86%, and increased test weight by 11% and yield by 21-32%. If adopted in 1996, these modern practices would have increased farm revenue by 58% and profit by $206.55 ha^-1. Up to 54% of the loss in 1996 would be mitigated, suggesting significant improvements were made, leaving about the same amount of room for improvement.