1. n Ag Canada will select
a research project aimed
at developing resistance
to the disease.
By Adrian Ewins
Saskatoon newsroom
Agriculture Canada is spending
$4 million over the next four years to
battle clubroot.
The devastating canola disease has
spreadtomanyareasof
Albertaandmadeitsin-
augural appearance in
Saskatchewanthissum-
mer.
Yield losses can ex-
ceed50percentinindi-
vidualfieldsandthedis-
ease is seen as a serious
threattocanolaproduc-
tion.
The department is
now launching a scien-
tific attack against the
disease,invitingapplica-
tionsfromresearchsci-
entists across Western Canada.
The goal is to discover resistance
andnoveldiseasemanagementstrat-
egies to combat the fungal pathogen
that causes clubroot.
The department’s request for pro-
posals,issued in mid-July,emphasiz-
es the situation’s urgency.
“Cultivars that incorporate new
sources of genetic resistance are re-
quiredtolimitthedisease,whichcould
spread rapidly within the next two to
threeyears,causingimmenseeconom-
ic damage to canola producers,” the
document said.
Applications had to be submitted
by Aug.15.They have now been sent
for international peer review, which
shouldbereturnedbySept.9,andwill
thenbesubjectedtoonefinalinternal
review.Thedepartmentplanstoselect
one project.
“Thesuccessfulcandi-
dateshouldbeinaposi-
tion to start activity by
mid-September,” said
George Clayton, pro-
gramdirectorforscience
partnershipsatAgricul-
ture Canada’s research
centre in Lethbridge.
Exactly what the se-
lectedprojectwillinvolve
won’tbeknownuntilthe
reviews have been com-
pleted.
Claytonsaidtherapid
spreadof clubrootinAl-
bertaandtheappearanceofthedisease
inwest-centralSaskatchewanthisyear
is a big concern.
“This research is very timely. We
decidedthatbeforeitgetstoo,toose-
rious,weneededtoinvestsomemon-
ey to try to nip it in the bud.”
AgricultureCanadaisalsoplanning
toexpandaclubrootresearchproject
The Western Producer August 27, 2009 The Western Producer 5
already underway at the Saskatoon
research centre.
Meanwhile, an Alberta company
that specializes in environmental de-
contamination has teamed up with
theAlbertagovernmenttolookatways
toreduceoreliminateclubrootspores
fromtools,equipment,machineryand
vehicles.
Alberta Agriculture has selected
SwiftEnvironmentalEquipmentLtd.’s
proprietaryclubrootmanagementsys-
temtoconductapilot-scaleevaluation
of newdecontaminationtechnologies
developed in the province.
The two-year project, to be con-
ductedattheprovincialgovernments
cropdiversificationcentreinBrooks,
Alta., will determine whether new
sanitation methods developed in
small-scale trials have commercial
potential.
Soilandwashwatersampleswillbe
taken from equipment cleaned at
Swift’s facilities in Lloydminster and
MedicineHat,Alta.,andsenttoBrooks
for evaluation.
Agriculturalexpertssaypropersan-
itation is a key to clubroot control.
The three keys are:
n Removesoilandplantdebrisfrom
equipment by scraping or knocking
off clumps.
n Cleanresidualsoilanddebrisfrom
surfaces by pressure washing, steam-
ing or compressed air.
n Apply a disinfectant mist to the
cleansurfaces(onetotwopercentac-
tive ingredient bleach solution).
Crop rotation is seen as the best
strategy to control clubroot.
Also,interimregistrationwasgrant-
edtoclubrootresistantcanolahybrid
45H29 from Pioneer Hi-bred in ear-
ly 2009.
Clubroot war
to get ammo
Alberta
South
n Warmer temperatures helped crop matu-
rity.Damage from Aug.3 hail in Taber,Vulcan
and Wheatland counties is severe,with large
crop losses.
n Winter cereals harvest 30 percent
complete.
n Peas and lentils 20 percent complete.
n Canola swathing has started.
n Pasture conditions are improving.
Central
n Showers have aided crop development,but
sub-surface moisture remains 45 percent poor.
n Hail damage claimed crops in the
municipalities of RockyView,Lacombe and
Red Deer.
n Combining of winter wheat and pulse
crops has started with 20 percent of the fall-
seeded crops harvested.
Northwest
n Sub-surface moisture is near 80 percent
poor.
n Half of spring cereals are rated as poor
and 42 percent fair.
n Fall cereals are 25 percent harvested.
n Severe grasshopper damage in forages
n Frost reported in Edmonton.
Northeast
n Near freezing temperatures overnight
Aug.24.
n In the west,soil moisture is 75 percent
poor and improves near the Saskatchewan
border.
n Spring cereals are 35 percent poor and 52
percent fair.Canola is 46 percent poor and
47 percent fair.Peas 37 percent poor and
53 percent fair.
n 70 percent of the pastures are rated as
poor.
Peace and B.C.
n Sub soil moisture continues
to deteriorate,with 77 percent
rated as poor.
n Crops need heat to mature.
n Pastures rated as 58 percent
poor,31 percent fair and 11
percent good.
n Harvest underway in early
crops.Canola swathing expected
to start in the next week.
Saskatchewan
Southwest
n Thirty-seven percent of win-
ter wheat is combined,six per-
cent of oats,12 percent of triti-
cale,two of canola,10 of
mustard,12 of lentils,30 of peas and four of
barley.
n Pasture conditions improving.
Southeast
n Between 40 and 80 mm of rain stalled
winter wheat swathing.Three percent is
combined.
n A few early pulse crops are being swathed
or combined.
West-central
n Rain in many areas stalled desiccation of
peas and lentils.
n Topsoil moisture continues to improve
with 83 percent reported as adequate.
n Four percent of winter wheat and nine of
fall rye harvested.
n Some canola blooming,most podding.
n Crop damage due to flooding.
n Grasshoppers and wind related crop lodg-
ing.Hail at Biggar and Smiley.
East-central
n Mustard swathing started.
n Winter cereal harvest underway.
A few early pulse crops desiccated.
n Canola highly variable with
some crops still in flower,most pod-
ding.
n Desiccation of pulses and some
glyphosate spraying of wheat.
Northwest
n Topsoil moisture adequate or
better.
n Fall cereals being cut and some
combining taking place.
n Crops good but delayed by two
weeks.
Northeast
n Showers up to 77 mm at Humboldt.
n Pulse desiccation beginning.More than
half of fall cereals being swathed or ready to
cut.
n Wind related crop lodging a serious
problem in cereals.
Manitoba
Southwest
n North of the Trans-Canada Highway,most
producers have desiccated winter wheat but
little harvest has been done.
n Yields are average with good quality.
n Most of the fall rye crop has been harvest-
ed with yields slightly above average and good
quality.
Northwest
n Excess moisture in some areas prevented
ranchers from accessing native hay meadows.
n Pre-harvest application of desiccants has
taken place on a few advanced cereal fields.
n Cereal and oilseed crops require warm
weather to advance to maturity.
Central
n Rainfall in the region varied from 40
to 90 mm in eastern areas,while western parts
of the region received 15 to 50 mm.Hail
was reported in the Brunkild and Morden
areas.
n Winter wheat harvest is progressing with
reports of yields ranging from 30 to 90 bushels
per acre.
n Canola is maturing with late-seeded
canola blooming.Some swathing has started.
Blackleg and sclerotinia reported in some
canola fields,causing lodging concerns.
Eastern
n Weather delaying field operations.
n Harvesting of winter wheat occurred last
week.Fusarium damaged kernels and sprout-
ing evident.
n Limited barley harvesting occurred with
reported yields of 80 to 90 bu.per acre.
Interlake
n Rain through the week varied from 12 mm
in the Ashern area to 70 mm in the Riverton-
Arborg district.
n Some winter wheat acres were combined
at tough moisture contents.
n Yields range from 65 to 70 bu.per acre.
Sprouting causing downgrading in samples.
n Sclerotinia found in many canola fields.
Conditions as of Aug. 24.
Western Producer Crop Report
cropreportTod and Marilyn Collard ride along the edge of a canola field south of Calgary. Agriculture Canada
plans to spend $4 million to battle clubroot before it devastates the prairie canola crop. (Mike Stuck photo)
Clubroot
disease causes
plants to wilt.