In 2024, a comprehensive survey was conducted across 208 canola (Brassica napus) fields in the primary canola production regions of Saskatchewan. The survey encompassed the northwest (26 fields), northeast (31 fields), west-central (29 fields), east-central (60 fields), southwest (25 fields), and southeast (37 fields) regions of the province. Due to the random and permission-based selection process, not every rural municipality (RM) was surveyed within each region, and multiple fields were surveyed in some rural municipalities.
Disease assessments were performed in each field by collecting 20 plants from five distinct sites, each located at least 30 meters from the field edge. Sclerotinia stem rot (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) was detected in 56 per cent of the surveyed crops. The average incidence across all surveyed crops in the province was 9 per cent, with a 16 per cent incidence in infected crops. The provincial average severity of sclerotinia stem rot was 0.24 out of 5 (0.43 in infected crops). The overall mean incidence for the province was higher than in 2023 (4 per cent) and 2022 (6 per cent). The increased disease incidence in 2024 compared to 2023 can be attributed to more favorable weather conditions during the growing season.