In 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture continued to monitor for verticillium stripe across the province in 218 fields through the general canola disease survey and in 103 fields through an expanded after-harvest verticillium-specific survey. The after-harvest survey was conducted to assess the prevalence of the disease more accurately and to help evaluate the risk the disease may pose to canola production in Saskatchewan. Verticillium longisporum was confirmed by PCR in 25 fields located in 23 rural municipalities (RMs) through the verticillium stripe monitoring program.
In 2023, the Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission (SaskCanola) also expanded its free disease testing program for canola producers to include verticillium stripe. This program confirmed the occurrence of the disease in 16 additional RMs bringing the number of RMs with disease to 39 for the 2023 season. All positive fields across the province were mapped to generate the 2023 Verticillium longisporum distribution map in Saskatchewan canola crops. The map shows that most of the confirmed verticillium stripe cases in 2023 were still located in the east side of the province. However, verticillium stripe was also found in other regions including west-central and southwest and to as far west as RM of Maple Creek close to the Alberta border.