Research Objective

The objectives of this project were among the 10 most important as ranked by the Clubroot Steering Committee (CSC), an advisory group consisting of industry, grower, government and scientist representatives.

• Characterization of soils and pathotypes in clusters where plant variety resistance has been defeated
• Evaluating field pre-treatment and modification techniques
• Evaluating yield loss in relation to disease severity
• Effect of soil properties on clubroot development
• Effect of cultivar rotation on clubroot pathotypes (pathotypes being a strain of the disease)
• Evaluating resistance of cultivars against new clubroot pathotypes

Project Description

The project is designed to characterize new clubroot strains that can overcome current resistant canola varieties, explore and refine methods of soil modification and fertilization to prevent clubroot establishment at field entrances (where the disease typically establishes itself first), model the relationship between yield loss and clubroot severity, monitor spore buildup in the soil by resistance-defeating clubroot pathotypes, and develop strategies to rotate clubroot resistant host genotypes to avoid resistance breakdown. Information on soil properties will help to predict and develop methods to reduce the rate of both old and new pathotypes of clubroot. This research is important because clubroot is prevalent in Canadian canola fields and clubroot pathotypes have been arising that cause currently resistant varieties to become diseased. The overall goal of this project therefore is to develop successful integrated management practices to reduce viable spore populations in affected areas and prevent the establishment and buildup of spore populations in areas where clubroot, or novel clubroot pathotypes, are at risk of being introduced.