Lightning in fields can be a source of nitrogen but at times can result in crop damage which, at a glance, resembles a very localized disease outbreak, plant pathologist Ieuan Evans writes.
Tag Archives clubroot
Lightning gives and takes in Prairie fields
Practical Research: Certain types of storms provide almost 15 per cent of the world’s fixed nitrogen fertilizer
New genetics could lead to more camelina acres on the Prairies
Saskatchewan research hopes to take both winter and spring camelina varieties to the next level
Both winter and spring camelina might be on the cusp of better varieties to help boost production of the oilseed in Western Canada.
Clubroot resistance: what new seed labels would mean for canola growers
Proposed label changes could provide growers with detailed info to rotate varieties and preserve resistance in canola crops
Improved seed labelling can help canola growers make better variety choices, reduce disease pressure and protect the long-term effectiveness of clubroot resistance.
Don’t join the clubroot club this year
Avoiding serious canola yield loss to clubroot will take a multi-pronged strategy
After a string of dry years, the wetter conditions in 2024 saw clubroot hit Alberta hard. Genetic advances in resistant varieties have certainly helped — but clearly the disease isn’t going away. At the CropConnect Conference last month in Winnipeg, Dr. Stephen Strelkov, a University of Alberta professor of plant pathology, provided an update on […] Read more
Clubroot off Saskatchewan’s regulated pest list
Clubroot is among several pests the Saskatchewan government has now deregulated. The province in June repealed its Pest Control Act and has replaced it with the Plant Health Act and accompanying regulations. As a result, clubroot, Richardson’s ground squirrel, grasshoppers and the warble fly are no longer on the list of declared pests. All are […] Read more
Vegetable crop production on the Prairies
Part 2 of a series on Prairie farm gardens
At the countless farm sites I have visited over almost 50 years from coast to coast in Canada, from Newfoundland to Vancouver Island, I have come across outstanding crop growing innovations and excellent crops as well as abject crop failures. To deal logically with the extensive range of crops, I put them, as described previously, […] Read more
Disease testing uptake low despite benefits
Canola disease tests help growers better manage their fields
Canola disease testing is available free of charge in much of the Prairies, but uptake among growers and agronomists remains relatively low, according to industry officials. In Manitoba, the Pest Surveillance Initiative (PSI) lab has been offering free clubroot testing since 2014. The Manitoba Canola Growers Association lab also offers free blackleg and verticillium stripe […] Read more
SaskCanola expands disease testing program
Verticillium stripe added to the lineup of free initiative
A program that offers free canola disease testing to producers in Saskatchewan has widened its scope. The disease monitoring program, offered by SaskCanola in conjunction with the Saskatchewan agriculture department, is free to producers across the province. Blackleg and clubroot testing have been available through the program for the past few years but this is […] Read more
Prairie crop disease outlook for 2023
Your provincial experts guide you through disease pressures and risks for this season
Predicting the crop disease outlook for the Canadian Prairies is never easy. With the wild swings in temperatures and precipitation the region faced over the past couple of years, the task has become even more challenging. “It’s always fun to speculate about what we might see,” says Michael Harding, a plant pathologist and crop health […] Read more
Clubroot is everyone’s problem and responsibility
Plant clubroot-resistant varieties even if you don’t have clubroot in your fields
Clubroot was first discovered on canola in Alberta in 2003. Since then, it has spread across the Prairies, affecting many fields in Alberta and staking claim in Saskatchewan and Manitoba too. If you haven’t yet found clubroot in your fields, count yourself lucky — but also actively practice clubroot prevention on your farm. “Prevention is […] Read more
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