RDAR ANNOUNCES $833,000 INVESTMENT FOR CANOLA CLUBROOT RESEARCH

Clubroot (Plasmodiophora brassicae) is a critical disease in canola that threatens a crop that contributed $12.9 billion (2022) in exports to Canada’s economy [AB $4 billion]. By infecting the plant’s root, clubroot disrupts water and nutrient uptake, resulting in stunted growth, reduced seed quality, and significant yield losses of up to 50%.

RDAR, the Alberta Canola Producers Commission, and the Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission (SaskCanola) awarded $1.25 million to Dr. Stephen Strelkov, Professor of Plant Pathology at the University of Alberta, to lead an expert team in:

• Breeding resistance into new crop varieties.
• Developing new ways to control the pathogen.
• Identifying clubroot resistance genes.