KEY PRACTICE: Consider early application of fungicide for blackleg management only when disease risk is high due to short crop rotations, erosion of cultivar resistance, or hail damage.

PROJECT TITLE, LEAD RESEARCHER: “Mitigating the risk of blackleg disease of canola using fungicide strategies,” 2011-15, Gary Peng, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC); Dilantha Fernando, University of Manitoba; Ralph Lange, Alberta Innovates — Technology Futures 

GROWER ORGANIZATION FUNDER: MCGA, SaskCanola

Blackleg is the most widespread fungal disease of canola in Western Canada and poses a serious threat to production. Selecting a rotation of R-rated varieties and maintaining a minimum break of two to three years between canola crops may protect against blackleg risk and allow effective long-term management of this disease.

Pathogen race shifts have been reported in recent years which may be linked to overuse of the same blackleg resistance genes in canola varieties. The trend towards tighter rotations due to market opportunities also increases the pathogen inoculum pressure. With increasing risk, prevalence and severity across the Prairies, growers have questions about which fungicides are most efficient, cost-effective and when they should be applied. Gary Peng with AAFC.

You can also read the 2015 Science Issue of Canola Digest as a flipbook

Visit the Canola Research Hub website to search the database of grower funded research

Tags: blackleg