In 2025, a comprehensive survey was conducted across 201 canola (Brassica napus) fields in Saskatchewan’s primary canola-producing regions. The survey included fields in the northwest (21 fields), northeast (32 fields), west-central (27 fields), east-central (59 fields), southwest (20 fields), and southeast (42 fields) regions. As the survey relies on both random selection and producer permission, not every rural municipality (RM) was sampled, and some RMs contained more than one surveyed field.
Disease assessments were completed in each field by collecting 20 plants from five sites, each located at least 30 metres from the field edge. Sclerotinia stem rot (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) was detected in 40 per cent of the surveyed crops. The average incidence across all surveyed fields was 4 per cent, while incidence within infected crops averaged 9 per cent. The provincial mean severity of sclerotinia stem rot was 0.09 on a 0–5 scale (0.21 in infected crops).Overall, the mean incidence in 2025 was lower than in 2024 (9 per cent) and 2022 (6 per cent) and was similar to the level recorded in 2023 (4 per cent). These fluctuations likely reflect differences in weather conditions between growing seasons, particularly factors such as rainfall and humidity, which strongly influence the risk of sclerotinia infection.
2025 Sclerotinia Incidence Map