Protecting Canola Fields in Rocky View County from Clubroot
Wednesday, August 13, 2025
Each year, a Rocky View County crop inspector examines every canola field in the county for signs of clubroot. These inspections, carried out under Alberta’s Agricultural Pest Act, play a crucial role in managing this serious threat to canola producers.
What is Clubroot?
Clubroot is a soil borne disease that impacts canola and other members of the cruciferous family. Certain nuisance weeds such as Sheperd’s purse, stinkweed or wild mustard can act as reservoirs for clubroot. Clubroot is easily identifiable by the big nodules it causes on the roots of the plant that reduce yields by stopping the flow of nutrients from the roots to the rest of the plant. This disease poses a serious threat to canola producers because once it infects a field, spores can remain in the soil indefinitely, making prevention the most effective form of control.
While clubroot is found across Alberta, Central Alberta sees the highest concentrations. You can view the province’s updated infestation map here.
Inspection Protocols
A clubroot inspection is completed by pulling 100 plants in the field approach and checking each root system for nodules. The field approach is chosen for clubroot inspections as this is often where infestations appear first, typically due to contaminated equipment moving between fields.
The crop inspector follows strict sanitation protocols to avoid spreading clubroot. Before entering the field, they put on nitrile gloves and Tyvek shoe covers to prevent soil from being tracked into the field. After exiting the field, the gloves and shoe covers are removed and disposed of before moving to the next site. All equipment is sanitized between fields with Spray Nine to eliminate any spores.
If the crop inspector finds suspicious symptoms on the canola, samples are sent to the Alberta Plant Health Lab to confirm whether clubroot is present.
How Can You Help?
There are a few simple steps you can take to help protect our county’s canola fields from clubroot. Practice proper crop rotation by planting canola only once every four years, with at least three years of other crops in between. This gives time for the spores in the soil to naturally decline, reducing the risk of future infestations.
Since prevention is the most effective method of control, clean equipment between fields to prevent accidental contamination, and always check whether any rented equipment has been used in fields that have tested positive for clubroot.
For more information about clubroot, visit the provincial government’s website here. By taking proactive measures and supporting regular inspections, we can work together to stop the spread of clubroot in Rocky View County.
Photo 1: Moderately infected canola root.
Photo credit: Valerie Sowiak
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Agriculture