b'a result, the potential for disease may have dropped slightly in some regions over the past few years. And finally, growers utilizing genetic resistance traits in the crops they grow will have a much lower risk of seeing disease than those that are growing genetically susceptible cultivars.Another factor adding to disease risk in the form of overwintering pathogen inoculum will be growers cultural practices and clean seed programs. For example, if susceptible host crops are grown in the same field more than once every three to four years, the levels of overwintering inoculum can be maintained or amplified to damaging levels, explains Harding.This is a significant issue for residue-borne diseases like blackleg on canola, cereal leaf spots. Additionally, seed-borne diseases like bacterial leaf streak on cereals, or chocolate spot on faba beans can become severe when infected seed is used.Turkington says as one prepares their upcoming field program, including variety choice, itll be important to look at what has developed in the field itself, as well as adjacent fieldsSwollen canola roots result from infection by the clubroot pathogen. These root when the crop was last grown.swellings can develop on crops in the Brassica family (canola, mustard, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, etc.) when the clubroot pathogen is present in the soil. The This will indicate your typical disease spectrum and whatdisease can also occur on Brassica weeds such as shepherds purse, stinkweed, may be needed in the upcoming field season. This relatesflixweed, wild mustard, and volunteer canola. PHOTO: MICHAEL HARDINGto variety choice to target key disease issues experienced previously, whereby the producer can try to use a variety with good levels of resistance. Related to this may be the scenarioThe most important management tool to prevent crop disease that the variety a producer wants or needs to grow may beis prudent crop rotations, explains Chatterton. quite susceptible to a particular disease issue and, thus, it mayThe risk of developing devastating roots rot increases when provide an indication of what issues may occur but keeping inpulses are pushed in a rotation. Once a field has become mind the impact of seasonal weather conditions.infested with pathogens, andparticularly Aphanomyces euteiches, it can take six to 10-plus years for that field to recover. Slowing Down Crop Disease So, the short-term benefit of short and tight rotations may As for what can be done to slow down or prevent crop disease,not outweigh the long-term ramifications, particularly when there are a number of tools available to growers. These include: currently the only viable management strategy for this disease is Cultural practices (crop rotation, weed management, fertility,avoidance of infested fields.irrigation).Ultimately for many plant diseases it will mainly depend onClean seed programs are essential for seed-borne diseases.seasonal weather conditions, especially rainfall in June and July. Choosing cultivars with genetic resistance to the mostDry conditions like we had in 2021 will largely limit disease risk troublesome diseases in your area or farm. compared to a wetter summer like 2016. Its also important to Timely fungicide applications when the risk of leaf spot,note there may be localized weather systems that increase risk stem rot or foliar blight warrants it. Decision support tools,as compared to looking at things from a regional or provincial and disease prediction/forecasts tools can help producersperspective, Turkington adds. make fungicide application decisions.Lisa KopochinskiWheat Faba BeansAAC Goodwin SnowbirdAAC Penhold Canola Westlock, AB AC Foremost CANTERRAAAC BrandonGreg & Clifford Cyre Cell (780) [email protected]'