A comprehensive survey of Verticillium stripe and establishment of a disease nursery in Morden MB

Term: 3 years, beginning 2024
Status: Ongoing
Researcher(s): Ahmed Abdelmagid, AAFC
SaskCanola Investment: $64,687.50
Total Project Cost: $258,750
Funding Partners: WGRF, MCGA

Objective

1. To conduct a comprehensive survey to measure the impact of V. longisporum on canola. This proposed survey will also allow us to build a collection of V. longisporum isolates for use in any breeding program and help in the establishment of a disease nursery population with local strains of the pathogen. 

2. To establish a permanent Verticillium stripe nursery in Morden for use in all future research on this emerging disease under field conditions for the benefit of growers and the canola industry. 

Project Description

Verticillium stripe has recently become one of the most important diseases of canola in Canada. Verticillium longisporum appears to prefer cruciferous hosts and poses an increasing problem to canola and oilseed rape production. Plant disease nurseries play a vital role in safeguarding agricultural productivity and global food security.

Disease screening conducted in infested field sites represent the most accurate and reliable approach to evaluate the resistance of host plant genotypes to pathogens. This is particularly true for soilborne pathogens. Since disease pressure may be affected by variability in environmental factors and the uneven distribution of soil inoculum, it can be unclear if accessions performing well in controlled conditions would also show improved resistance in the field. Establishing a biosecure disease nursery to study Verticillium stripe in southern Manitoba will be a very valuable step forward for research on this emerging disease. Similarly, conducting a comprehensive disease survey across Manitoba will help to evaluate the real impact of Verticillium stripe and allow the establishment of a collection of V. longisporum isolates for use in breeding programs and other research.