Carl Clutchey
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Chronicle-Journal
Northern Ontario farmers are being asked this summer to take part in a soil-sampling study to help researchers have a better handle on a disease known to kill canola plants and reduce crop yields.
The volunteer clubroot study, to be conducted throughout July and August, is being overseen by the Northern Ontario Farm Innovation Alliance (NOFIA).
“The process will involve our team taking a few soil samples near main field entrances and in any high risk areas for clubroot,” an alliance bulletin said this week.
“We will be taking bio-security measures to ensure we are not spreading the pathogen while sampling,” the bulletin added.
According to the Canola Council of Canada, the clubroot pathogen causes canola roots to swell, “which can ultimately cause premature death of the plant.”
The disease, which is caused by a fungus, was first reported in Canada in a commercial canola field near Edmonton in 2003.
“Since then,” the council backgrounder said, “thousands of infested fields have been identified across canola growing regions in Canada.”
Tarlok Singh Sahota, director of Lakehead University’s agricultural research station near Thunder Bay, said clubroot hasn’t been a problem for farms near the city.
“So far, not at all,” Singh Sahota said in an email on Tuesday.
Soil samples taken by the Northern Ontario Farm Innovation Alliance are to be analyzed at a lab at the University of Guelph near Toronto.
Participants in the study “will receive their soil sample results after testing is complete,” the alliance bulletin said.
Farmers interested in taking part can contact Sophie Kilbridge by email at sophie@nofia-agri.com, or by calling 705-647-2970.
