Tips for sclerotinia control
Timing is more important than the application method when it comes to keeping sclerotinia stem rot in check.
“Rather than weighing the merits of control by high-clearance ground rig or airplane, growers should be more concerned about getting the fungicide Benlate on in early bloom. Both air and ground application are effective in controlling the disease,” said Nick Underwood, crop production co-ordinator for the Canola Council of Canada.
Sclerotinia is a fungal disease which first infects canola petals. The petals are used as a food source, which allows the disease to develop until it can infect leaves and stems.
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Applying fungicide will protect canola plants for at least nine days when applied at the 20 to 30 percent bloom stage. This is the period when the most damaging infections are usually initiated. Application should occur when 20 to 30 percent of the flowers have opened on the main stem of the canola plants.
To assess the disease risk, growers must check fields regularly to determine conditions. Humid weather and a thick crop canopy, which keeps the foliage and soil moist for 10 days prior to flowering, result in prime conditions for disease development.
A petal test kit, developed at the University of Saskatchewan, can help growers determine potential for the disease. It involves collecting petal samples and placing them on a culture medium supplied in the test kit. The amount of sclerotinia which develops on the medium indicates the potential severity of the disease in a field.
“Last year, there was a lot of unnecessary yield loss because many growers didn’t recognize the potential for the disease in their fields. This year, we again have wet conditions in many parts of the canola growing areas of Western Canada,” said Underwood.
It is unknown whether one application method is preferable. The Manitoba Aerial Applicators Association will be conducting trials this summer to compare yield response to air and ground-applied sclerotinia control.
Information about petal test kits can be obtained by writing to: Canola Petal Test Kits, Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Sask. S7N OW0.
– Canola Council of Canada
TGE disease is on the move
Transmissible gastroenteritis (TGE) may be on the move again. TGE is a highly contagious, enteric viral swine disease characterized by vomiting, severe diarrhea and a high death rate in piglets under two weeks old. While all swine can be affected by TGE, the death rate is low for pigs over five weeks old.
The disease can occur with the introduction of new replacements to a barn. The outbreak is usually explosive, with many pigs showing symptoms at once. Since TGE is caused by a virus, there is no treatment.
Severity of the disease in a herd will depend on existing immunity from previous exposure and immunity from previous vaccination procedures. Vaccines are available.
– Manitoba Swine Update
