Blackleg pseudothecia on stem

Steps to stop blackleg in canola

Agronomists and canola growers have many proven steps to manage blackleg disease in canola. Genetic resistance has been an extremely effective tool, and will remain so — as long as that resistance matches the blackleg races in a field

Blackleg disease, caused by the pathogen Leptosphaeria maculans, is common in canola across the Prairies. It can cause very high yield loss in cultivars susceptible to the predominant blackleg races in a field. The two best defences are: Seed treatment and early-season fungicides can also help, especially if the first two are compromised. This article will […] Read more


Cross-section of an infected canola plant root. Verticillium fungus spreads upward through a plant’s vascular tissues and can create this sort of discolouration, which looks somewhat similar to blackleg.

Keep verticillium stripe in focus this year

Practical Research: Don't let the fungi hitchhike between fields on your equipment -- or anyone else's

Where did such a destructive disease come from? Verticillium stripe was first reported in Manitoba in 2014, some 10 years ago. The fungus, Verticillium longisporum, has now been confirmed present in six provinces: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec. In a survey in 2023 across Manitoba, verticillium stripe was found in 38 per […] Read more

This image shows the unilateral discolouration of plant stems caused by verticillium stripe.

Take verticillium stripe in canola seriously

A Manitoba farmer warns others about the threat this disease poses to canola production

Last year, Collin Shirtliff knew the threat to his canola crops posed by verticillium stripe but he wasn’t overly concerned. However, that changed late in the summer when he began harvesting the crop on the 3,600-acre farm he and his family operate near Starbuck, Man. What looked like an extremely promising crop weeks earlier suddenly […] Read more


When scouting, pull plants. This photo shows blackleg stem cankers.

The sweet spot for fungicide use

Variety resistance and the level of disease pressure impacts fungicide effectiveness

Early fungicide applications reduce blackleg severity when disease pressure is high and the varieties lack resistance, a researcher told delegates at the International Rapeseed Conference in Saskatoon. But fungicide has little effect when varieties are resistant or moderately resistant, he said. “We need to find kind of a sweet spot with fungicide use,” said Dr. […] Read more

Green Barley Ears

A smut by any other name

Smut is one of the few diseases that’s not a hot button issue this winter. But true loose 
smut can cause headaches for barley growers. Here’s how to keep it out of your fields

Covered, loose, false, true, stinking, stem, common. Apparently, a smut exists for every occasion. Smut is a broad term that refers to a variety of fungal diseases that affect cereal grains on the Canadian prairies. Each smut is caused by a specific fungi which attacks a particular grain and produces slightly different effects. One thing all smuts have in common: […] Read more


fusarium head blight in wheat

New fusarium control on the horizon

Farmers who spray fungicides for fusarium may soon have a new biocontrol to consider

Fusarium head blight is a perennial problem for cereal growers across the Prairies. A fungal disease that can impact many small grain cereals including wheat, rye, barley and oats, fusarium is caused by infection by species of the fungal pathogen Fusarium, and can result in yield losses and reductions in grade and end-use quality. It […] Read more

Sclerotia, the overwintering bodies of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum germinate and produce mushroom-like structures called apothecia.

Sclerotinia in Manitoba

Sclerotinia doesn’t just hit canola. Find out how to avoid this problem on your farm


Sclerotinia is a fungal stem rot disease caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. It occurs throughout the Prairies, but its severity from year to year is variable as its development depends on the right environmental conditions occurring at its germination and infection phases. Not just canola Sclerotinia gets most of its attention as a disease in canola, […] Read more