The Manitoba Canola Growers Association is taking action to detect clubroot at low levels of infection now that it is officially present in the province.
The association said in a news release that it wants to establish a specialized molecular laboratory as part of a Plant Pathogen Surveillance Initiative, which would help detect clubroot when concentrations of disease spores in soil samples are low.
“2013 was the first time Manitoba has experience CR-positive plant samples, so the time to act is now,” said president Ed Rempel.
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Last fall, Manitoba Agriculture confirmed the presence of clubroot symptoms on plants in two canola fields, based on samples taken in August and September.
It was only a matter of time before canola roots were found with clubroot symptoms because scientists detected clubroot DNA in Manitoba soil samples in 2012.
The province didn’t release the locations where plants showed symptoms of clubroot, but soil samples from other regions indicate disease spores are present in canola fields across the province, said Anastasia Kubinec, a Manitoba Agriculture oilseed specialist.
“It’s everywhere. When we say it’s 50 kilometres from your farm, that’s the truth.”
