Research Objective
To gain a better understanding of the pathogens impeding pea production in north central and northeast Saskatchewan; to evaluate the economic viability of fungicide seed treatments and foliar fungicide application to control pea diseases.
Three years of research into pea diseases in the black soil zone and disease surveys in two years revealed that mycosphaerella blight remains the most prominent disease of this crop. In cases where a significant effect on seed yield was observed, gains covered fungicide and application costs, but were variable ranging from 12 to 43%. Root rots have been identified as a serious problem by many pea producers. Observations made in the pea surveys indicated that root rot problems were almost always associated with high precipitation and / or water logging. Regular monitoring of root rots during disease surveys is advisable as build-up of populations in the soil may increase the importance of root rots.