Verticillium Stripe Management

Project Summary

Purpose

The project is designed to mitigate the threat posed by verticillium stripe to sustainable canola production through a variety of research activities. First of all, an evaluation of yield losses associated with verticillium stripe will be important to help farmers and industry predict the impact of this disease and determine whether or not control measures are warranted. Secondly, improved inoculation techniques will facilitate further research into verticillium stripe, allowing researchers to evaluate control measures more efficiently and to more effectively screen genetic material for resistance to the pathogen. Knowledge of the resistance of canola cultivars to this disease will help identify potential management strategies, including an assessment of genetic resistance as a potential management tool.

Objectives

This proposal is an integrated and collaborative approach to addressing the major research priorities around the new disease, Verticillium stripe, in Canada.  It includes three specific objectives:

1. Determine if there is yield loss and measure the extent of potential yield losses from verticillium stripe. This includes:
   • Evaluating the effects of inoculum density on disease intensity.
   • Developing a model to relate disease severity to yield loss.
2. Investigate disease development. This involves:
   • Determining the effects of inoculation on infection at various canola plant growth stages (using various techniques).
3. Evaluate canola genotypes (canola cultivars) for resistance to verticillium stripe.

Progress

Greenhouse experiments on the effect of different inoculum densities on plants at different growth stages are being evaluated. Despite COVID-19, field experiments on the effect of different inoculum densities on disease severity and yield were seeded and are being collected.