State Legislators attend Scab Tour

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Prairie Grains is the
official publication of
the Minnesota
Association of
Wheat Growers,
North Dakota Grain Growers Association,
South Dakota Wheat,
Inc., and the
Minnesota Barley
Growers Association

MN Senate Majority Leader and 1996 Ag Committee Chair Roger Moe (DFL-Erskine) was among several state lawmakers to review the progress of scab research projects supported by the appropriation of about $1.5 million by the Minnesota Legislature, over the three-year period of 1994-96.

Other Minnesota lawmakers who took part in the tour included Sen. LeRoy Stumpf (DFL-Thief River Falls), Rep. Jim Tunheim (DFL-Kennedy) Rep. Tim Finseth (R-Angus) Rep. Edgar Olson (DFL-Fosston) and Rep. Bernie Lieder (DFL-Crookston).

U of M wheat breeder Bob Busch and U of M barley breeder Don Rasmusson reviewed their work to develop wheat and barley varieties with scab resistance. NWES agronomist John Wiersma discussed the NWES scab nursery, and U of M plant pathologist Roger Jones discussed research on the use of fungicides to control scab. U of M plant pathologist Ruth Dill-Macky discussed germplasm screening techniques that are being researched and developed, and NWES soil scientist Al Sims reviewed research on the effects of plant residue and tillage on scab.

Small grains specialist Jochum Wiersma lead the itinerary of the evening tour. Wiersma said that the scab initiative at the U of M could be compared to the efforts put forth when stem rust first became of epidemic proportions in the 1950s. He said that more than 75 people are involved with scab research at the U of M, covering almost every discipline within the U of M College of Agriculture.

Marcia McMullen, NDSU plant pathologist, and Jackie Rudd, SDSU plant pathologist, were also on hand for the tour.

McMullen said that the scab screening nurseries at Crookston, the West Central Experiment Station in Morris, MN; the NDSU scab screening nursery at Prosper, N.D., and others in N.D., MN, and Manitoba provide plant pathologists, plant breeders, and agronomists with the opportunity to evaluate a lot of germplasm under differing environments.

"I was very impressed by the efforts and am thankful for the cooperation and progress that is definitely being made against this disease," she said.

Scab plagued some areas of the Red River Valley for a fourth straight year. Securing legislative funding to continue ongoing scab research initiatives is a top priority of the MAWG in the 1997 state legislative session.

December 1995