The new pathotype was found in the Rural Municipality of Pembina
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
Manitoba Agriculture has identified a new strain of a disease that can be devastating to canola yields.
The ag ministry confirmed the new clubroot strain as pathotype 3A. It can overcome some genetic resistance in canola varieties. This strain has been seen in Alberta since at least 2014.
“Traditionally rated ‘resistant’ or ‘R’ canola varieties will not be effective in preventing clubroot infection against this pathotype strain,” the ministry said in a Sept. 6 release.
But some varieties are specifically labelled for resistance to 3A, the ag ministry added.
Officials discovered the type of clubroot in the Rural Municipality of Pembina, which has a history of clubroot outbreaks.
Pembina had more than 80,000 spores per gram of soil, a provincial clubroot distribution map showed. The map showed test results from between 2009 and 2018.
Producers should be on high alert after this recent discovery.
“This is yet another cue for the industry to continue to take this disease seriously and implement clubroot management plans,” Dan Orchard, an agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada, said in a Sept. 10 statement. “We still have the opportunity to get ahead of this disease and limit the impact it has on canola producers and the industry.”
Controlling the spread of the plant disease can be challenging.
Spores can be transmitted between fields on footwear, tires, by wind or even water movement.
Taking the necessary steps to prevent clubroot infestations is critical to stopping an outbreak.
“It is critically important to limit the pressure we put on resistance by using resistant varieties before spore concentrations are high, extending the break between canola crops and changing up resistance sources if necessary,” Orchard said.