Ways To Combat Blackleg In Canola

In Manitoba last year, there were elevated rates of blackleg in canola, however overall the levels were relatively low.

 

That from Justine Cornlesen, agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada.

 

She gave some advice to farmers during a webinar this week.

 

"First off, as always, is crop rotation. Crop rotation falls into any sort of integrated pest management approach, especially with blackleg. It is a stubble born disease, each year you can allow that old infected residue to break down in the field, the better off you're going to be. There's not going to be that pressure on your future canola crops. So if you're able to allow at least a two-year break that should allow most of that stubble to decompose in the field, which works out well for Manitoba."

 

Cornelsen notes they also place a huge emphasis on scouting.

 

"Actually knowing what to be looking for and how to tell the difference between that and other diseases. That's something that's a little trickier, but you've got to know what you're working with. From there, you can then deploy a bunch of other management practices. In Canada, everything we grow is resistant to blackleg or moderately resistant, so that's a checkmark that we all get. From there we're now really focusing on stewarding the genetics, so this is where understanding what major genes are within the hybrids that producers are using and then how they can match the predominant blackleg races within the field."

 

Fungicide use is another measure, although Cornelsen notes that foliar applications are not very common as producers don't see a return on investment. She adds fungicide seed treatments are now available as well.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.