Sclerotinia stem rot is a major disease of canola that continues to be a challenge to manage- largely due to its difficulty to predict. This blog explores some of the tools that are currently available to support the decision-making around sclerotinia and prediction and control options that are still being investigated.
Foundational disease information
Similar to other diseases, all three aspects of the disease triangle must align for sclerotinia to occur in canola. The host plant (canola) must be present. The disease-causing pathogen, which in this case is the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, must be present and the environment must provide favourable conditions. The challenge with sclerotinia, is that the presence of viable pathogen (often referred to as inoculum) and the quantity that is needed to successfully infect an economic amount of canola plants to warrant a fungicide application is difficult to collect precise measurements on. As well, all the specific conditions required to create a favourable environment for the disease aren’t fully known and are hard to predict.
However, every unique growing season for canola farmers and every research study completed provides a greater understanding and more insight into answering these questions and better management of this disease.
Sclerotinia disease cycle
Similar to other diseases, all three aspects of the disease triangle must align for sclerotinia to occur in canola. The host plant (canola) must be present. The disease-causing pathogen, such as the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, must be present and the environment must provide favourable conditions.
The challenge with sclerotinia, is that it is difficult to collect precise measurements on the presence of viable pathogen (often referred to as inoculum) and to determine the quantity needed to successfully infect an economic amount of canola plants (to warrant a fungicide application). As well, all the specific conditions required to create a favourable environment for the disease aren’t clearly defined and are hard to predict.
But every farm’s unique growing season and every research study completed provides more insight into answering these questions and better management of this disease.
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