Big Lakes County now has a distinction that it’s never wanted to have.
Clubroot. (Photo/AGCanada.com)
It’s the first area in the Peace Country to have had one of its canola fields test positive for Clubroot.
Up until now, it’s only been located in areas further south in the province, where the disease was first detected in the early 2000s.
In a news release, the Alberta Canola Producers Commission (ACP) said it’s working with the Canola Council of Canada to, quote, “reinforce grower awareness of Clubroot management fundamentals.” They include crop rotation and equipment sanitation.
To that effect, a free Clubroot Information Session is happening at Guy Community Hall on Thursday, August 31, 2017, starting at 10 AM.
Ag Fieldperson Sheila Kaus from Big Lakes County says she hopes to see as many people as possible attend.
“(The county) is providing a bus to the event free of charge,” said Kaus. “We’ll be picking people up at the Gordon Buchanan Centre (in High Prairie) at 9 AM.”
Kaus adds that there will be several spokespeople at the event.
“Michael Harding, the provincial pathologist, will be there to talk about the disease history in Alberta, as well as the provincial management plan,” she told the Trending 55 Newsroom. “As well, Gregory Sekulic from the Canola Council of Canada will discuss the importance of sanitation, as well as the support provided by ACP and the Canola Council of Canada.
“As well, Normand Boulet, (the Ag Fieldman from the MD of Smoky River), will be talking about what a pest designation means, and will also discuss an overview of the current municipal policies within the Peace.”
Meanwhile, she says that the county will be doing an extensive survey of its canola fields.
“That’s in an attempt to figure out if there is any additional sites of infection,” said Kaus. “We ask for the public’s cooperation with these inspections, which will be performed by appointed pest inspectors following strict sanitation guidelines.”
She says no vehicles will be allowed on the field, and inspectors will wear foot coverings. Kaus adds that the county has had a policy in place for Clubroot for a number of years now.
“This policy dictates widespread public awareness of the county’s positive Clubroot status, and diligent Clubroot surveys of the canola fields within this county,” Kaus continued. “If Clubroot is found, a pest notice will be issued. The notice dictates that the affected land not be planted with canola for four years, in order to lessen the spore load located within the soil.”
Kaus says that the producer is free to plant canola within that field, but must use Clubroot resistant varieties that are rotated in order to avoid resistance breakdown.
She says there are other plants that could also be infected with Clubroot.
“Pretty much anything with the Brassicaceae is vulnerable,” she added. “That includes mustards, as well as rape seed.”
Kaus says products that are affected by Clubroot can still be sellable to the customer.
“But the reason we’re limiting it to crushing it though, as the seed can carry the disease,” said Kaus. “We don’t want to use it for seeding, or for feed, as we wouldn’t want to see the disease spread to other fields.”
– Posted by BET
