Manitoba Bulletin
Research targets verticillium stripe in canola
Ahmed Abdelmagid, research scientist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, leads a project to set up a verticillium stripe nursery at Morden to evaluate cultivar resistance and disease treatments.
Verticillium longisporum, the fungal pathogen that causes verticillium stripe, is emerging as a serious threat to canola production in Manitoba and across Canada. Manitoba’s climate provides favourable conditions for it to thrive, infecting plants early in the season and leading to premature plant death and yield loss of 10 to 50 per cent.
With no resistant canola varieties available, research is essential to develop effective management strategies, including crop rotation, potential fungicide options and agronomic practices to mitigate infection risk. Manitoba Canola Growers Association (MCGA) is dedicated to funding this type of research.
“Research will help develop better diagnostic tools to allow early pathogen detection, enabling timely interventions to reduce disease spread,” says Ahmed Abdelmagid, research scientist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada who leads a project focused on verticillium stripe.
Funded under the Canola Agronomic Research Program (CARP), this research (launched in 2024) aims to deepen our understanding of the pathogen’s impact on canola, with two main goals:
- Field Survey: Researchers are surveying fields across Manitoba to determine the presence and impact of verticillium stripe on canola yields.
- Disease Nursery: A dedicated site in Morden allows researchers to study the disease under controlled conditions, facilitating the search for disease-resistant varieties and effective treatments.
Early findings indicate moderate disease levels in all surveyed fields (35 across Manitoba), with some cultivars demonstrating greater tolerance to the disease. The new nursery successfully inoculated the soil and was showing visible symptoms by early September.
“Farmers who were affected by verticillium stripe last season should avoid planting canola in the same field this year and consider rotating with non-host crops (wheat, corn or soybean) to help break the disease cycle,” says Abdelmagid.
Advancing detection with qPCR-based screening
Harmeet Singh Chawla, assistant professor in Plant Science at University of Manitoba, leads a project on testing to identify verticillium stripe in canola.
Another project launched in 2024 funded through Agriculture Development Fund, led by Harmeet Singh Chawla, assistant professor in Plant Science at University of Manitoba, focuses on developing molecular markers and qPCR-based testing to identify verticillium stripe in canola.
“We are working to streamline detection so breeders can select resistant sources faster for future canola varieties,” Chawla says. The project aims to develop molecular markers that breeders can use in the lab, helping estimate resistance levels without extensive field testing.
This research is investigating the use of qPCR, the same test employed during the COVID-19 pandemic, to detect verticillium in plants. “It is like testing for the virus in humans, but we are working to adapt the method for large-scale testing for canola plants without the high costs.”
Practical control measures for farmers
Until resistant varieties are available, farmers are encouraged to manage verticillium stripe using control practices similar to those for other soil-borne pathogens, including equipment decontamination, tire washing and soil testing. “Provincial surveys indicate more fields in Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan are testing positive, so it’s important for farmers to be cautious,” says Chawla.
MCGA members can send samples for free verticillium stripe identification through the Canola Disease Testing Program.
“Farmers have questions about verticillium stripe, but more research is needed to be able to answer them,” says Amy Delaquis, MCGA’s Research Manager. “It’s promising to see passionate local researchers actively working to learn more.”
