Diseases of canola and their management: The Back Pocket Guide

This Back Pocket Guide highlights a number of canola diseases. Canola can be infected by a number of pathogens in Australia that cause root rots, leaf diseases and crown to stem infections. Their presence and severity are dependent on plant susceptibility, presence of the pathogen and favourable climatic conditions. Generally, fungal diseases such as blackleg and Sclerotinia are more damaging in higher rainfall regions, but if unseasonably high rainfall occurs in lower rainfall regions these areas may also experience high disease levels.

Disease control varies for each pathogen but generally variety resistance, crop production practices and fungicides are used either in isolation or combination to reduce economic losses. If growers are aware of the disease risks in their area and follow strategic management plans they should be able to adequately control most canola diseases.