Sclerotinia in canola

Sclerotinia stem rot is the most serious disease of canola in western Canada. Losses ranging from 5-100% have been reported for individual fields.Canola, sunflower, dry beans, field peas, lentils, mustard, and potatoes are host crops for this disease.
The severity of sclerotinia in canola is variable. It is dependent on the time of infection and climatic conditions. The disease is favoured by cool temperatures and prolonged periods of precipitation.
The symptoms usually develop several weeks after flowering begins. The plants develop pale-grey to white lesions, at or above the soil line and on upper branches and pods. The infections often develop where the leaf and the stem join because the infected petals lodge there. Infected stems appear bleached and tend to shred. Hard black fungal bodies, of varying sizes, develop within the infected stems, branches, or pods. Plants with girdled stems wilt and ripen prematurely.
The symptoms include premature ripening and pale-grey or white lesions on stems, branches and pods. Sclerotia form within the stems, branches and pods. Severely infected crops frequently lodge, shatter at swathing, and make swathing more time consuming.

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