WE ARE All In On Canola

The disease overwinters in soil and on crop stubble, and needs warm, moist soil conditions and plenty of shade to germinate. This means that the spread and severity of sclerotinia varies widely from year to year: dry, hot summers keep sclerotinia at bay, while humid, damp summers can lead to high levels of disease pressure.

In canola, timing is critical. For best results, fungicide applications such as MAXENTIS^® should be completed before sclerotinia is found in the field. With a wide window of application and bulk easy-to-use formulation, MAXENTIS^® lets growers spray industry-leading disease control faster and more efficiently when it suits them best. Asorbital^® Formulation Technology ensures MAXENTIS^® is absorbed and spread efficiently across the plant, providing long-lasting protection.

Identification

Control tips

• Use clean, certified seed and crop rotations of at least four years. Include non-host crops such as corn, wheat, barley or oats in fields with a history of sclerotinia.
• As a preventative measure, consider wider row spacing when planting susceptible crops, like canola, in fields with a history of this disease.
• Keep fields free of broadleaf weeds since many are alternate hosts for this disease.

Disclaimer: Please read each label to determine which fungicide is appropriate for the crop affected.

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The disease is often spread to crops through residues from infected plants and overwinters on infected stubble for at least two years. Wind and rain can also spread spores to new areas. Growers should be particularly cautious during warm, moist years or in regions that get a lot of rain, as these conditions encourage rapid spread. However, the disease is found both in warm, humid regions and dry regions across Canada, so it’s important to keep an eye out when growing susceptible plants.

Identification

Source: The Canola Council of Canada

1. Cotyledon to two-leaf stage – Critical Infection Window
   (A) Early stages present as white to yellow-brown lesions with pycnidia (black specks) on leaves.
2. Flowering stage
   (B) The stem displaying varying degrees of black, as seen in this cross-section.
3. Ripening stage to post-harvest
   (C) Late stages present with root and stem cankering (shrunken, pinched areas).
   (D) Pseudothecia and pycnidia can be seen on old canola stubble.

Control tips

• Maintain a good crop rotation that has at least 3 years between canola crops.
• Plant less-susceptible varieties of canola. Most varieties are rated on a 1 - 5 scale (resistant to highly susceptible).
• Avoid confusing blackleg leaf lesions (which are speckled) with downy mildew lesions (which are not speckled).
• Use herbicides that control early season disease pressure during canola’s critical infection window, such as BUMPER^® 432 EC, to enhance yield potential and minimize loss if the disease reappears later in the season.

Disclaimer: Please read each label to determine which fungicide is appropriate for the crop affected.

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1. Scout early and often. Stay on top of emerging weeds, taking note of your biggest threats.
2. Consider a pre-seed herbicide application like EMPHASIS^® to help your crop get ahead of weed competitors. Additionally, weeds are easier to control when they are young and actively growing.
3. Rotation, rotation, rotation. Rotate herbicide groups and follow proper crop rotation guidelines. Rotating to crops that allow for a wider range of herbicide groups and have different seeding and harvest timing (winter cereals, for example) is a very effective weed management strategy.
4. Consider weed resistance. If weeds are growing through your herbicide applications (and you know you have made good contact), it may not be an issue with the herbicide. Have surviving weeds tested for resistance.
5. Use tank mixes and find an effective grassy tank mix partner: Hitting weeds with multiple modes of action can help reduce the risk of herbicide-resistant weeds. If wild oats and other grassy weeds emerge before broadleaf weeds, it might be a good option to go in with a Group 1, then follow up later with your broadleaf or herbicide tolerant system. For heavier grass populations, in glufosinate-tolerant canola, we recommend ADAMA GLUFOSINATE 150 SL with ARROW ALL IN^® as excellent options.
6. Use the right herbicide at the right rate and time. Cutting rates, for example, may reduce herbicide efficacy and increase weed seed return to the soil seed bank.
7. Get good coverage. Optimizing the effectiveness of glyphosate (and other herbicides) depends on getting good contact. Follow water volume recommendations, watch application speeds (<10 kmph) and ensure spray nozzles are in good working order and that you are optimizing droplet size to avoid drift.
8. Control weeds throughout the season to reduce the deposit of weed seeds in the soil bank.
9. Employ other integrated weed management practices so herbicides are not the only form of weed management used on the farm. These can include perimeter management, hand-pulling, and other methods.