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Clubroot spreads with the movement of contaminated soil, and the most common way to transfer soil from field to field is on farm machinery and vehicle tires.
Buying used equipment from a clubroot area can create an unexpected transfer of the disease. We heard this week of a grower from northern Alberta who bought a used combine from a known clubroot area. The grower was surprised at how much soil was on and inside the combine, and this soil very likely contained clubroot spores. The grower painstakingly cleaned all parts of the combine to prevent it from spreading clubroot to his farm.
This is a good reminder that not just drills and tillage tools collect soil. Be sure any used or demo’d equipment you buy is clean before you bring it home.
Ideally, clean equipment before it leaves the auction site or the farm it comes from. Also check that the transport truck is clean. As a precaution, you may want to pressure wash the equipment again when it gets to your farm. Do this in a commercial truck wash or on the farm in a low-traffic grassed area away from any cultivated soil.