Identify verticillium stripe as the first step to effective management

Sep 05, 2024

Verticillium stripe of canola is caused by the fungal species Verticillium longisporum and is a fairly new in western Canada. It is one of the diseases that surveyors watch for in their annual Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta disease surveys and canola growers are concerned about potential yield loss that it may cause. While research has been conducted on verticillium stripe in canola, there are still many knowledge gaps related to this disease and the impact it has on canola.

The five-year (2019-2024) Verticillium Stripe – The Disease Management project, led by Dr. Hwang and Dr. Strelkov, investigated the disease development, evaluated canola genotypes for resistance and examined its interactions with blackleg. It aimed to help farmers and industry predict the impact of this disease, facilitate further research into verticillium stripe more efficiently and to more effectively screen genetic material for resistance to the pathogen.

More specifically, the project objectives include:

1) Measure yield loss by evaluating the the effects of inoculum density on disease intensity was evaluated and creating a model to related these two factors.

2) Quantify the effects of inoculation at different growth stages of canola and using different techniques.

3) Evaluate canola genotypes for resistance to verticillium stripe.

4) Determine the interacting effects of verticillium stripe and blackleg.

Methods

Researchers measured yield losses in two ways: on a per-plant basis by growing plants in micro-plots inoculated at different densities, and by growing plants in six by 1.5 metre field plots harvested by small-plot combine. They used greenhouse experiments to determine interactions between blackleg and verticillium stripe.

Weather conditions were moister than average in the early growing season and resulted in good disease development in the 2020 field experiments. In 2021, precipitation was well below average in June and July and resulted in much lower disease development, however yield losses still occurred.

Results
Verticillium stripe infecting canola in the early stages inhibited canola establishment and growth. Later infection led to deterioration of the stem and vascular tissues. Infection at both stages affected yield and yield loss increased as the infections became more severe.

Click here to see more...

Video: From Conventional to Regenerative: Will Groeneveld’s Journey Back to the Land

"You realize you've got a pretty finite number of years to do this. If you ever want to try something new, you better do it."

That mindset helped Will Groeneveld take a bold turn on his Alberta grain farm. A lifelong farmer, Will had never heard of regenerative agriculture until 2018, when he attended a seminar by Kevin Elmy that shifted his worldview. What began as curiosity quickly turned into a deep exploration of how biology—not just chemistry—shapes the health of our soils, crops and ecosystems.

In this video, Will candidly reflects on his family’s farming history, how the operation evolved from a traditional mixed farm to grain-only, and how the desire to improve the land pushed him to invite livestock back into the rotation—without owning a single cow.

Today, through creative partnerships and a commitment to the five principles of regenerative agriculture, Will is reintroducing diversity, building soil health and extending living roots in the ground for as much of the year as possible. Whether it’s through intercropping, zero tillage (which he’s practiced since the 1980s) or managing forage for visiting cattle, Will’s approach is a testament to continuous learning and a willingness to challenge old norms.

Will is a participant in the Regenerative Agriculture Lab (RAL), a social innovation process bringing together producers, researchers, retailers and others to co-create a resilient regenerative agriculture system in Alberta. His story highlights both the potential and humility required to farm with nature, not against it.