Sheila Kaus, CCA
Agricultural Fieldman
Big Lakes County
As I sit writing this, I can’t help but be grateful that it’s raining.
We needed a bit, even though it’s not timed well with harvest.
I needed a break from sampling canola for clubroot as well.
Big Lakes County has the dubious distinction of having the first confirmed case of clubroot within the Peace Region.
Clubroot is a fungal disease affecting canola and for producers, that’s a big deal. In instances of severe infection, yields were reduced by as much as 80 per cent.
While there are resistant varieties of canola seed, resistance breakdown can occur in as little as two seasons.
Currently, canola prices bring in the biggest receipts and thus, producers aren’t pleased about clubroot being in the area.
This is their livelihood – how they pay their bills and feed their families.
This is where you come in, reading public. With hunting season underway, please keep clubroot in the forefront of your mind.
Use respect and get permission before accessing farm fields.
Keep your quads, trucks, trailers and ATV’s clean, and if a producer requests that you clean and disinfect your unit before you can access their property, understand their point of view.
This isn’t just some instance of a farmer being cranky.
This is their livelihood.
The farmer isn’t being overly dramatic – they are only being cautious.