Monitoring and management of clubroot on canola and brassica vegetables in Ontario

Lead Applicant: Mary Ruth McDonald

Research Priority: Plant Health & Protection Projects

Program Type: Tier 1

Funding Cycle: 2022/2023

Research Centre: Ontario Crops Research Centre – Bradford

Research Summary: Clubroot of brassica crops is a new disease on canola in Ontario and was first reported on canola in the province in 2016. However, it has been in the province on brassica vegetables for decades. Clubroot is a threat to canola production because it can survive in soils for long periods and adapt to overcome resistant varieties within a few years. The proposed research will track the spread of clubroot, especially the new variants (pathotypes) that can overcome the existing resistance in canola and vegetables. This will allow for the development of a more efficient method to determine pathotype and evaluate the usefulness of assessing fields for calcium base saturation and pH to predict disease severity.