New sclerotinia tool helps growers assess disease risk and severity

Jul 02, 2024

Growers and agronomists looking for help in making sclerotinia spray decisions this summer will have access to a new online tool from the Canola Council of Canada. Available at CanolaCalculator.ca, the sclerotinia risk assessment tool offers both a recommendation about whether or not to spray a canola crop (at 20-50 per cent flower) based on several inputs from the user, along with an opportunity to assess the spray decision by rating sclerotinia severity at maturity (30-60 per cent seed colour change).

The second part of the tool is an economic calculator to provide an estimated return on a fungicide application based on different scenarios including percent of infection, fungicide cost, expected yield and market price.

“These new tools are designed to help growers and agronomists make timely, informed decisions on whether a foliar fungicide application is advised,” said Chris Manchur, CCC agronomy specialist and lead on sclerotinia stem rot. “Farmers have a lot of choices to make throughout the growing season. It’s very exciting to put this new technology in their hands to help simplify decision making and assess potential impacts on productivity and profitability.”

Sclerotinia stem rot is one of the most economically significant canola disease in Canada, resulting in significant yield loss each year. Caused by the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, the disease is heavily influenced by environmental conditions leading up to and during the flowering period of canola, which can make predicting outbreaks and the grower’s decision to spray difficult.

The tool also includes a helpful resource library which hosts images, videos and other educational materials, serving as a valuable knowledge hub supporting growers and agronomists in sclerotinia management.

These tools were built following three years of collaboration with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and extensive testing with agronomist partners and are an evolution of the sclerotinia stem rot checklist that growers and agronomists have relied on for years. The project was funded in part by the Government of Canada under the previous Canadian Agricultural Partnership – AgriScience Program, along with support from Alberta Canola, SaskCanola and Manitoba Canola Growers.

Source : Canola Council

Video: Winter Canola Trial in Mississippi | Can It Work for Double Cropping? | Pioneer Agronomy

Can winter canola open new opportunities for growers in the Mid-South? In this agronomy update from Noxubee County, Mississippi, Pioneer agronomist Gus Eifling shares an early look at a first-year winter canola trial and what farmers are learning from the field.

Planted in late October on 30-inch rows, the crop is now entering the bloom stage and progressing quickly. In this video, we walk through current field conditions, fertility management, and how timing could make this crop a valuable option for double-cropping soybeans or cotton.

If harvest timing lines up with early May, growers may be able to transition directly into another crop during ideal planting windows. Ongoing field trials will help determine whether canola could become a viable rotational option for the region.

Watch for:

How winter canola is performing in its first season in this Mississippi field

Why growers chose 30-inch rows for this trial

What the crop looks like as it moves from bolting into bloom

Fertility strategy, including nitrogen and sulfur applications

How canola harvest timing could enable double-cropping with soybeans or cotton

Upcoming trials comparing soybeans after canola vs. traditional planting

As more growers look for ways to maximize acres and diversify rotations, experiments like this help determine what new crops might fit into existing systems.