Microsclerotia growing on the skin of the outer stem, which is peeling back.

A crash course on verticillium stripe

It’s important to know how to identify this newcomer to western Canadian canola crops and distinguish it from other diseases

Verticillium stripe of canola is causing yield loss in Manitoba and probably other areas of the Prairies. And it’s getting worse. The disease, caused by the Verticillium longisporum pathogen, was first reported in Manitoba in 2014. In 2015, Canadian Food Inspection Agency surveyors found the pathogen in six provinces, including all three Prairie provinces. The […] Read more

Digging into the cause of poor yields

Digging into the cause of poor yields

Did drought, fertility issues or something else lead to that poor crop? We look at the possibilities

Your client’s crop yielded poorly, and they assume it was due to drought. But you suspect it may be a fertility issue. How can you accurately diagnose the problem? Let us first examine what dry and drought mean. A dry year means reduced crop growth and reduced nutrient uptake, since biological, chemical and physical processes […] Read more