July 1, 2010

Canadian producers need to look out for rapeseed diseases

 

A Canola Council of Canada agronomy specialist has advised that growers will have to monitor fields for crop disease amid wet weather.

Clint Jurke says grain fungus Sclerotinia will be the big ''watch out'' disease this year.  Sclerotina does well under wet conditions.  There is a checklist farmers should look at to determine if treatment is warranted.

"In general, if your crop looks like it's going to be yielding really well and it does have a significant investment in it, then I think a fungicide spray would be warranted," said Jurke.

There are reports of blackleg infection in southeast Saskatchewan, which is unusual for this time of year.  Jurke said heat and humidity are prime conditions for the blackleg lesions to occur. 

"The only solution farmers have at this point (prior to the six-leaf stage) is they may have the opportunity to come in with a fungicide.  That may help reduce the amount of infection, but if you are past that leaf stage, there is no point in spending the money on that.  You just have to kind of ride it out and see how much diease there is in the field and plan your rotations accordingly," said Jurke.