In 2024, the Ministry of Agriculture continued to monitor for verticillium stripe across the province in 208 fields.
Verticillium stripe was confirmed by DNA based testing (PCR) in a total of 67 fields. This confirms the findings of the disease in 32 per cent of the 208 fields assessed in Saskatchewan.
In addition to the Ministry of Agriculture’s verticillium stripe monitoring program, the Saskatchewan Oilseeds Development Commission (SaskOilseeds) continued to include verticillium stripe in its free disease testing program for canola producers. This program confirmed the occurrence of the disease in 14 RMs. These findings were also used to generate the 2024 map.
In total, 64 RMs were confirmed to have the disease for the 2024 season as illustrated in the 2024 Verticillium Stripe in Saskatchewan Canola Crops map. Like the 2023 findings, the map shows that most of the confirmed verticillium stripe cases in 2024 were still located on the east side of the province. However, verticillium stripe was also found in other regions, including west-central and southwest, and as far west as the RM of Round Valley.