Root Rot Network looking to eradicate prairie crop diseases

A new resource for farmers and researchers has been launched with the Root Rot Network covering advances in combatting diseases for crops in the prairies.

That includes both resources and research papers featured on rootrot.ca.

Sherrilyn Phelps, Director of Research and Development for the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, talks about the partnership behind the website.

The Root Rot Network was established really to bring researchers together to talk about areas of research that need to be done, it's also about sharing info. Between the three provinces, we have Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers, Alberta Pulse Growers, and Saskatchewan Pulse Growers that lead the Root Rot Task Force, which is really sort of the group that is leading the initiatives and the development of the action plan related to eradicating root rot."

Phelps says that their work is tough, with the task force looking at a relatively long-lived and destructive disease.

"We're specifically right now focused on pea and lentil root rot, with a strong emphasis on aphanomyces. So we know that aphanomyces kind of really reared its head in about 2014 and we've been really struggling with it ever since because it's a very, very tough pathogen to deal with and it's different than all the other ones out there."

"Here in the prairies, the root rot in peas and lentils has really been problematic and devastating in a lot of areas, especially when there are moisture conditions, a little bit extra moisture and it just really runs rampant and really affects the yields."

For those growers working to prevent root rot in their fields Phelps says that they've seen shifting rotations to deal with that.

"So we have a number of growers in a number of areas that have had to move to longer rotations with peas and lentils because right now, that's the only thing that can kind of mitigate the aphanomyces portion of the root rot complex. So moving to longer rotations, giving a longer break in that soil for some of those are aphanomyces spores to break down and allow you to come back in and have less risk of root rot." 

Phelps recommends any farmers or researchers looking for info on root rot to head to their site.