Sanitizing equipment before entering each field is still step one

Cleaning dirt from tillage and seeding equipment is the first line of defense against the spread of clubroot, but clubroot-resistant varieties offer growers another tool to keep the disease in check.
 
“The clubroot region expands each year and growers are encouraged to take steps to keep it at bay,” says Canola Council of Canada agronomy specialist Clint Jurke. “By taking the time now to properly clean equipment, growers can avoid the potential for major losses in the future. For growers who already have clubroot in their fields, they can use crop rotation and clubroot-resistant varieties to limit disease severity and reduce losses.”
 
Pioneer Hi-Bred’s 45H29, Viterra’s 9558C and Monsanto’s Dekalb-brand 73-67 RR and 73-77 RR are clubroot-resistant hybrids available this spring.

The clubroot pathogen, Plasmodiophora brassicae, causes galls to form on canola roots, which cause premature death of the plant. The disease spreads when resting spores in soil or plant material containing galls is picked up and moved from field to field by machinery or vehicles or even dirty boots. Studies in fields infected with clubroot have found 90% of detections occurred at the most commonly-used field entrances.
 
Seeding and tillage equipment — tools that work the soil — are the primary carriers of infection. “It’s important for growers to know that they need to take precautions with their own machinery,” says Jurke.

At a minimum, growers should knock off soil lumps and loose soil from any machine before it enters the field. Ideally, a power washer should be used with either hot water or steam, finished off with a weak disinfectant of 1-2% active ingredient bleach solution. The solution should remain on the machinery for at least 10 to 15 minutes. Cleaning should include wheel wells, tires, undercarriage and other areas where soil accumulates. An additional strategy is to plant a grassed area near the field entrance where machinery can be cleaned.

These are also important steps for used drills or tillage tools growers are bringing to their fields for the first time, especially if that equipment comes from a known clubroot-infested region.

Growers looking for more detail on clubroot management can visit the website, www.clubroot.ca.

For more information, media can contact:

Clint Jurke,  Canola Council of Canada agronomy specialist for Western Saskatchewan, 306-821-2935

Or for a Canola Council of Canada agronomy specialist in your region, contact:

Derwyn Hammond, Manitoba Region, 204-729-9011
Jim Bessel, North Central and North Eastern Saskatchewan, 306-373-6771
Tiffany Martinka, Eastern Saskatchewan, 306-231-3663
Doug Moisey, North East and East Central Alberta, 780-645-9205
Troy Prosofsky, Southern Alberta, 403-332-1412
John Mayko, West Central Alberta, 780-764-2593
Erin Brock, Peace Region, 780-568-3326
 
This media release is supported regionally by:
Alberta Canola Producers Commission; SaskCanola; Manitoba Canola Growers Association; Canola Council of Canada; Peace River Agriculture Development Fund; B.C. Ministry of Agriculture & Lands.