Reading Time: 2 minutes A San Diego company is closer to commercializing a trait that could protect canola from sclerotinia.

Sclerotinia-resistant canola varieties may be in the cards
A U.S. company develops a trait that it says provides genetic resistance to sclerotinia, which can be challenging for growers

Sclerotinia testers needed
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Canola Council of Canada is looking for beta testers for a new sclerotinia risk assessment tool. The goal is ultimately to help growers make timely decisions on whether a foliar fungicide application is advised. For 2023, the council is seeking testers to use this tool and confirm whether a recommendation is accurate for that […] Read more

Consider canola crop’s potential yield before spraying
As July approaches and crop canopies close, sclerotinia will be on the minds of many canola growers. But will it pay to spray? Fungicide applications are more likely to be profitable when the canola hits 30-40 bushels per acre, said Colleen Redlick, senior technical development specialist at BASF. Justine Cornelsen, agronomy specialist with the Canola […] Read more

High moisture levels could drive up canola diseases across province
Sclerotinia can reduce canola yields by up to 50 per cent — but a well-timed fungicide application can prevent some of those losses
Reading Time: 4 minutes It may be a little bit early to guess, but canola agronomist Keith Gabert predicts that sclerotinia will be a problem in canola crops this summer. “We always assume that we’re going to have sclerotinia issues,” said the Canola Council of Canada agronomist. “Typically, sclerotinia germinates under good moisture conditions, so we’re making the assumption […] Read more
Four canola diseases to watch for
Is that canola crop afflicted by blackleg, root rot, both, or something else entirely? It’s a messy question farmers and agronomists encounter every year. Presenters tried to untangle those problems at CanoLAB in Vermilion this winter. Here are four diseases to watch for in canola fields this summer, and tips on diagnosing them.

The rise of the 777 sunflower rust race
If it seems like rust is becoming a bigger problem for Manitoba sunflower crops, that’s because it is. Researchers have identified a new virulent race of sunflower rust that made up nearly two-thirds of the rust cases in Manitoba during the 2016 growing season. Left unchecked, the disease deprives the plant of nutrients, and can[...]
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Canola may soon be able to text you when it needs to be sprayed
Nano-biosensors are more accurate than checklists at determining when to spray for sclerotinia
Reading Time: 2 minutes An Alberta researcher has found a tiny way to solve a big problem for canola farmers — using nano-biosensors to detect sclerotinia stem rot in the field, eliminating the need for visual scouting. “Sclerotinia stem rot is one of the most devastating diseases in canola farming, and scientists have worked very hard to try and[...]
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Rain increases disease pressures on eastern Prairies
CNS Canada — The recent batch of wet weather across parts of Saskatchewan and Manitoba have been a welcome relief to some fields that were suffering from excess dryness. However, soggy conditions have also enabled certain disease pressures to rear their ugly head, according to some government specialists. “Root rot is showing up in peas[...]
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Guenther: Farmers aim to keep pulse diseases in check
Rain makes grain, the saying goes — but too much spring rain and farmers are likely to see disease in pulses. That’s certainly been the case in Saskatchewan, where farmers in most regions are actively scouting for, or in some cases spraying for, crop diseases, according to the provincial crop report. So which leaf diseases[...]
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Garlic and onion disease survey underway
Samples across the province have revealed a number of diseases
Reading Time: < 1 minute Over the last several years, a number of issues has been observed in garlic crops in Alberta, with reduced yields, poor storability, and poor performance. Plant and soil samples collected from across the province in the last two years have found a number of diseases, including aster yellows, white rot (sclerotinia), fusarium basal plate rot,[...]
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