EDMONTON, Alta. – New clubroot resistant canola varieties have allowed Edmonton farmer Murray Huff to return canola to his crop rotation.
In 2005, a 40 acre parcel of land and a second, larger field were heavily infested with clubroot, the disease that reduces canola yield.
After four years of cereal rotation, Huff seeded clubroot resistant varieties of canola on the infested fields with surprising results.
“I was totally amazed at how effective it was,” said Huff.
Five years ago, it was estimated the canola crop was 60 percent infected with clubroot. During a field tour, there was little sign of clubroot.
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Huff seeded a Dekalb 7367 variety and a Pioneer 45H29 variety, two of six varieties of clubroot tolerant canola.
Dan Stanton, a research scientist with Pioneer, said canola seed is normally multiplied at its Lethbridge facility but because of demand this seed was multiplied in Chile where a
winter type canola grown in the region crossed with the clubroot variety.
Arvel Lawson, a technology development representative with Dekalb, said 7367 and 7377 were produced in Chile and have some off-type varieties poking through the canopy.
When two of the winter types of canola were pulled and their roots examined, University of Alberta clubroot specialist Stephen Strelkov found small clubroot galls on the roots, a sign the spores were in the field and able to infect canola not resistant to clubroot.
Jody Klassen, an Alberta Canola Producers Commission director, said controlling clubroot means controlling volunteers that don’t have built in resistance to clubroot.
When the disease was discovered in Alberta, most counties and municipalities implemented a clubroot plan that restricted the number of years canola could be grown in a field. Edmonton, where Huff farms, has no restrictions.
Huff imposed canola growing restrictions, but is looking for clubroot resistant varieties that are not Roundup Ready to help him manage his rotations and weeds.
“I want more options,” he said. Leighton Blashko of Bayer Crop-Science hopes to have an InVigor hybrid canola available by 2012.
Stanton said Pioneer is also hoping to have a Clearfield variety available by 2012.
Lawson said Dekalb is concentrating on its Roundup Ready varieties.
“For now, our focus is on the RoundUp Ready part of the marketplace,” she said.
Researchers are not only relying on new varieties to control the disease. Alberta Agriculture plant pathologist Sheau-Fang Hwang is working with other researchers to test soil additives, seeding dates, seed treatments and biological controls for the disease.
“We are wondering do cultural practices reduce the impacts of clubroot,” she said.
Early results of seed treatment have not been impressive, but they believe the stage of crop development has a big impact on clubroot infection rates.
