Clubroot is found everywhere brassica crops are grown and clubroot is getting worse, said experts meeting at the recent International Clubroot Workshop that brought together 200 clubroot researchers, extension staff and growers.

Canadian scientists wanting to better understand why some canola varieties are resistant to clubroot are using special light beams for help with their research.

As clubroot disease spreads in western Canadian soil, growers who have yet to see symptoms in their fields have a decision to make on when they should they start growing varieties marketed as resistant to clubroot?

The Alberta Canola Producers Commission is sharing an informational brochure on clubroot resistance in canola and how to best use it as part of an integrated management plan.

The clubroot story in western Canada continues to be written as researchers are finding additional strains of the pathogen that are capable of overcoming genetic resistance, says Stephen Strelkov, plant pathology researcher at the University of Alberta.

Tangled mature canola fields can be hard to scout. Swathing two full rounds before scouting makes it much easier to quickly check a number of plants in a few areas — including the back of the field.

Since new data indicates some forms of clubroot resistance are no longer functioning well against new clubroot pathotypes in some of the heavily infested fields, the Alberta Canola Producers Commission encourages growers to consider a comprehensive management plan that includes crop rotation, sanitation and the use of clubroot resistance varieties.

The difficulty with clubroot is that early infection causes symptoms that are difficult to assess with the naked eye. But PCR tests could be a valuable tool for growers, experts say.

The Canada and Manitoba governments have provided $250,000 in research funding and $969,000 for equipment to help identify and address problems caused by canola diseases and pests.