A comprehensive survey of verticillium stripe and establishment of a disease nursery in Morden, Manitoba

Project Summary

This project aims at understanding and combating verticillium stripe of canola, a concerning disease that has recently emerged in this crop. This project will be based in Morden, Manitoba, and will be conducted in collaboration with the University of Alberta. The project has two main objectives:

1. Comprehensive verticillium stripe survey:
   The research team will conduct a thorough survey of verticillium stripe across Manitoba. Verticillium stripe is a plant disease that affects canola, causing significant yield losses and could potentially cause economic hardship for affected growers. The research team will work diligently to identify the extent of the disease’s presence, its effect and its impact on canola. This information will be invaluable for developing targeted strategies to manage and mitigate this disease.
2. Establishment of a disease nursery:
   To facilitate ongoing research and improve our understanding of verticillium stripe, the research team will create a disease nursery in Morden, Manitoba. This nursery will serve as a biosecure location where the researcher can study the disease’s behavior, develop disease-resistant crop varieties, and test potential treatments. By establishing this nursey, this work aims to empower canola growers with the knowledge and tools needed to protect their crops from verticillium stripe.

Canola growers across western Canada will be key beneficiaries of these research outcomes. In addition, the canola industry as a whole should benefit from the establishment of the common resources developed through this project, most notably the biosecure disease nursery that could be used to test material in the breeding pipeline, but also through the establishment of isolate collections and protocols for working with this pathogen.