Research Briefs

Disease management tools for blackleg and sclerotinia

Researchers across western Canada are working towards developing new tools to help producers manage two serious diseases in canola – blackleg and sclerotinia stem rot. This project, led by SaskCanola, partners with the Alberta Canola and the Federal Government under Growing Forward 2 (GF2). This Agri-Science Project, which is still in progress, has multiple activities focused on new discoveries and solutions for managing these diseases.

Science

Real-time diagnosis in the field

Key Result: Researchers were able to develop and validate nine real-time qPCR assays targeting eight different phytoplasma (aster yellows) species along with P. brassicae (clubroot) and L. maculans (blackleg). This project provides tools for producers and regulators to obtain timely information on plant disease prevalence and spread, which will aid efforts to contain and control...

Science

Aim for consistent seed depth

Planters are the ultimate tool for precise and consistent seed placement,
which benefits canola stand establishment. But are they worth it?

Science

Bertha armyworm monitoring system still works

Key result: The current system for monitoring potential bertha armyworm outbreaks is based on a pheromone trap network developed in the 1970s (Steck et al. 1979) and improved in the 1980s (Struble et al. 1984). This study tested the efficiency of this system in the context of current canola production and determined the monitoring and...

Science

Aster yellows: Seed treatment benefit; rating damage

Key result: The study found that seed treatment can reduce leafhopper feeding and therefore suppress aster yellows (AY). It also produced a five-point rating scale to score canola plants for AY damage and help predict yield loss. Project title, Principal investigators: “Seed treatments as an alternative method of controlling leafhoppers and aster yellows disease in...