The Smoky Applied Research and Demonstration Association (SARDA) is conducting a blackleg survey and is looking for input from those already scouting canola fields.
Virulent blackleg of canola/rapeseed is a fungal canker or dry rot disease of the actively growing crop that causes stem girdling and lodging. In heavily infested crops, up to 100 per cent of the stems may be infected, resulting in major yield loss.
Two types of blackleg fungus infect canola weakly virulent and virulent. The weakly virulent, or mild type, has always been common in canola fields. The disease appears on leaves and stems in August but does not usually cause significant damage.
Blackleg is spread by infected seed or by spores splashed about by rain or carried by the wind in the growing crop. Long distance spread of the disease across the prairies is through the movement of infected seed.
Source : Agriculture and Forestry