The agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada says blackleg was a problem for many growers this past year.
Speaking at Manitoba Ag Days, Angela Brackenreed said there was about 90 per cent prevalence in the fields surveyed.
She also noted that the recent discovery of Verticillium wilt in Manitoba was unfortunate.
“These are the challenges that are going to be thrown at you when you're growing a crop in short rotation,” she said. “It's one more reason for growers to practice biosecurity.”
Brackenreed noted that sclerotinia was not as high as expected this past year considering the damp and wet conditions.
Looking ahead, the Canola Council has set a goal to increase yields to an average of 52 bushels per acre, for 26 million metric tonnes of production by the year 2025.