Source: NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIV submitted to NRP
AGRONOMIC AND PEST MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES TO OPTIMIZE CANOLA PRODUCTION IN THE NORTH CENTRAL U.S.
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1017017
Grant No.
2018-38624-28793
Cumulative Award Amt.
$182,200.00
Proposal No.
2018-03968
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2018
Project End Date
Aug 31, 2020
Grant Year
2018
Program Code
[HW]- Supplemental and Alternative Crops
Recipient Organization
NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIV
1310 BOLLEY DR
FARGO,ND 58105-5750
Performing Department
North Central Research Center
Non Technical Summary
The long-term goal of this multi-state, interdisciplinary, and integrated research and extension project is to enhance canola production and profitability in the North Central U.S. Scientists at North Dakota State University, University of Minnesota, Northland Community and Technical College, and Montana State University have collaborated with farmer organizations, industry, and farmers to address the area's most important research needs through these objectives: 1) Developing agronomic practices enhancing production; 2) Developing more efficient pest management strategies; 3) Delivering knowledge to canola farmers through coordinated extension activities. Objective one will be accomplished by identifying an optimal seeding configuration comparing seed singulation vs conventional seeding; evaluating canola tolerance to sulfentrazone for broadleaf weed control; and determining the impact of soil salinity on canola development. Objective two will be accomplished through conducting a survey of canola pests; developing blackleg management strategies; and conducting a field survey for clubroot and initiating a grower education program. Canola has been grown in the North Central region for more than 20 years. However, many other crops are grown in this area such as soybean, dry bean, dry pea, lentil, chickpea, sunflower, and corn. In order for canola to remain competitive with other cropping choices in the region, we need to find solutions to increase yield and/or decrease input costs. This project addresses SACC objective two: Conducting fundamental and applied research and extension activities to develop innovative planting, cultivating, harvesting methods for use in production systems that include canola to improve input cost efficiencies and increase total factor productivity.
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
2131848114015%
2121848116050%
2051848106015%
1031848106020%
Knowledge Area
103 - Management of Saline and Sodic Soils and Salinity; 212 - Pathogens and Nematodes Affecting Plants; 205 - Plant Management Systems; 213 - Weeds Affecting Plants;

Subject Of Investigation
1848 - Canola;

Field Of Science
1060 - Biology (whole systems); 1160 - Pathology; 1140 - Weed science;
Goals / Objectives
The long-term goal of this project is to enhance canola production and profitability in the North Central U.S. The most important research needs will be addressed through these objectives: 1) Developing agronomic practices enhancing production; 2) Developing more efficient pest management strategies; 3) Delivering knowledge to canola farmers through coordinated extension activities.The major goals are to:1. Develop agronomic practices that enhance canola production.A. Identify optimal seeding configuration comparing seed singulation vs. a conventional seeder.B. Evaluate canola tolerance to sulfentrazone.C. Determine the impact of soil salinity on canola development.2. Develop more efficient pest management strategies.A. Determine prevalence of main canola pests and identification of other canola productionproblems.B. Develop a blackleg-warning system for canola farmers.C. Evaluate seed treatments for blackleg control.D. Determine the prevalence of clubroot in canola in northeastern counties of North Dakota throughan extensive field survey and quantify clubroot resting spores.3. Deliver knowledge to canola farmers through coordinated Extension activities.
Project Methods
Identify optimal seeding configuration comparing seed singulation vs. a conventional seeder. The study goal is to compare a systems approach of integrated planter technologies with singulation (SP) vs a conventional seeder (CS) for canola placement and stand establishment, and provide yield comparisons. This experiment also identifies optimal seeding rates (3.4, 7, 10 plants/sq ft) and row spacing (10 vs 20 inch) for canola based upon stand establishment or % loss with each system.Experimental design will be a randomized complete block with three or four replications in a split plot design with planters being whole plots and rows/rates being subplots. The number of treatments in this trial will be 2 row spacings x 2 planters x 3 seeding rates = 12 treatment combinations. Individual plots will be 5 or 10 feet wide x 25 feet long. Each treatment will be harvested, weighed, and sampled for quality analysis.Data to be collected/assessed include: crop emergence, vigor ratings, days to row closure, disease ratings, days to first flower, end of flower date, maturity date, plant height, lodging, canola yield, and canola quality parameters. Each treatment will have an economic analysis (cost/return) of CS and SP canola establishment.Benefits of planters with the SP system is the ability to reduce canola seeding rates compared to the CS and the potential to increase yields. This project will be able to answer farmers questions on the cost/return of canola established with the SP method compared to the CS method of establishment (since many farmers already own planters due to the proliferation of corn and soybean acres, very little investment (i.e., the purchase of canola plates) would be needed to take advantage of this practice).Canola tolerance to sulfentrazone. Sulfentrazone controls many tough-to-control broadleaf weeds such as kochia and wild buckwheat. The study goal is to evaluate canola tolerance to sulfentrazone applied preemergence and early postemergence. This study will be conducted at four locations. Herbicide treatments will include an untreated check, sulfentrazone applied preemergence, at cracking, at 1-leaf stage, and at 2-3 leaf stage. Sulfentrazone will be applied at 2 and 4 fl oz. Data will be collected on crop yield, test weight and oil content. If the study shows minimal crop injury, we will work with the registrant to obtain a canola label or to reduce the number of months required to plant canola (the current label requires 24 months before planting canola).Impact of soil salinity on canola development. : In this greenhouse study, the optimum water table level with optimum saline concentration in the groundwater to support canola growth will be determined. Conducting the experiments by applying (i) irrigation and non-irrigation, (ii) three different water table depths, and (iii) four different salinity concentrations will give comprehensive conclusions to the farmers in the region.It will be determined whether or not economic efficiency can be gained from canola cultivation under saline groundwater conditions. In addition, the effects on soil and plant yields will be determined in the context of the use of alternative water resources (groundwater, salty water, etc.) in the areas where freshwater resources are limited.Determine prevalence of primary canola pests and identification of other canola production problems. This goal will be accomplished through two surveys: 1) an end of season field survey and 2) a written farmer questionnaire. Approximately 100 fields located throughout the canola-producing regions of North Dakota will be scouted for the presence of Sclerotinia stem rot, blackleg, clubroot, aster yellows, and flea beetles. Disease incidences will be evaluated on 50 plants collected from five stations in each field (10 plants per station). Samples will be brought to the lab to confirm the identification and to make isolations of causal agents. Insect samples will be collected by making 100 sweeps per field and will be bagged and brought to Dr. J. Knodel's lab for species identification. Data will be analyzed and presented as percentages of incidence and prevalence by region and county. Also, isolates of blackleg will be used to determine prevalence of avirulence genes in the region.A questionnaire will be sent to canola producers requesting information on their perceived production problems. Data collected from these activities will be analyzed using descriptive statistics (e.g., mean, median, and classified by regions or counties).The study will allow us to compare pest prevalence or production issues in the current year compared to previous years. This will help us determine if a certain pest or production issue is increasing in frequency (e.g., increased population of striped flea beetle may be an indication of resistance to insecticides, prevalence of avirulence genes). This information will be used to make better informed decisions on production practices, variety development, and additional research needs.Develop a blackleg warning system for canola farmers. This project has two goals: 1) develop a fast and simple method to detect presence/absence of avirulence genes of pathogens in fields, and 2) develop a model that would help farmers identify situations when blackleg inoculum is being released so they can time fungicide applications more accurately. These goals will be achieved through three activities: 1) Modeling ascospore release and pseudothecia maturation using spore samplers and weather variables, 2) production of an assay using nanoparticles to detect changes in virulence within blackleg populations, and 3) evaluation of the reaction of commercial hybrids to blackleg isolates from severely affected fields. An improved blackleg management package will be produced. The package will include a blackleg spore release model that would help growers time their fungicide applications more effectively; a portable diagnostic tool that would facilitate detection of specific avirulence genes prevalent in a region that could be used to help design cultivar rotations schemes tailored for such regions; and information on the reaction of commercially available cultivars to isolates from specific regions that could be used by growers to identify the best options for cultivar rotations.Evaluate seed treatments for blackleg control. Greenhouse and field trials will be conducted to evaluate the efficacy of five commercial seed treatment formulations. For greenhouse trials, seeds of blackleg susceptible (Westar) and moderately resistant (Integra 7121R or Integra 7150R) seed will be treated with the different compounds and planted in replicated trials using a randomized complete block design. Twelve days after planting, seedlings will be inoculated with a mixture of lab-produced blackleg inoculum at the cotyledon stage. Disease evaluation will be conducted 12 days after inoculation using a 0-9 scale and at physiological maturity. The same treatments will be evaluated in replicated field trials at two locations. The impact of treatments on disease intensity (incidence and severity) and yield will be analyzed.Prevalence of clubroot in canola. The goal is to determine the incidence and severity of clubroot infection through a field survey and to quantify resting spores in seven northeastern North Dakota counties. A minimum of 5-10 fields per county will be targeted for scouting and around 30 fields in Cavalier County. Surveys will be conducted during the growing season and at swathing. Clubroot scouting will be done visually by inspecting canola crop roots. Roots of 100 stems per field will be evaluated for the presence of clubroot and incidence is noted. Disease severity was done by using a rating scale (0-3). Clubroot awareness meetings will be held during the growing season and survey results will be presented at winter meetings in multiple counties.

Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/20

Outputs
Target Audience:Two kinds of audiences received research results from this project. 1) the scientific community at large, specially researchers working on canola production problems. This audience was addressed using printed materials, e.g. posters, extension bulletins, refereed journal manuscripts, and verbal communication, e.g. presentations at professional meetings. 2)canola growers and stakeholders: research results were presented to these audiences as verbal presentations in annual field days and in winter meetings using slideshows. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project provided training for one graduate student who completed her work for MS degree in Plant Pathology. The student participated at two professional meetings during the reporting period where she presented results of her research. Results of the research conducted during the reporting period was presented to more than 500 North Dakota famers during field days and growermeetings. Also, research results were presented to the scientific community through presentations at regional and national professional meetings reaching an audience of more than 1,000 scientists. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Farmers have been presented with up-to-date information on disease management and the research conducted by this project using printed media, like extension service bulletins, articles in county newspapers, and oral media like radio interviews and presentations at field days and winter meetings. Research results have been presented to the scientific community through articles published in refereed journals and through presentations at regional, national, and international professional meetings. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? 1A. The impact of seed singulation was evaluated at multiple locations and years. Increments in yield due to seed singulation were inconsistent among trials; however, in general, the technology reduced the amount of seed required to plant an acre of canola. Additional evaluations should be conducted to resolve the effect of singulation on yield. 1B. The effect of sulfentrazone was evaluated in fields trials at multiple locations and years. Results indicated that sulfentrazone was toxic to canola and had a negative impact on yield. Therefore, it is not recommended as an alternative herbicide to manage glyphosate-resistant weeds in canola fields. 1C. A greenhouse trials was conducted to study the effect of different groundwater depths and table salinity on canola growth. It was determined that canola grows better when the water table is at 90 cm (3 ft) rather than at a shallower depth (30 cm). 2A. Blackleg, caused by the fungus Leptosphaeria maculans, is the most prevalent disease in North Dakota and depending on environmental conditions can be detected in 40 to 73% of fields scouted. Environmental conditions play an important role on prevalence and severity of blackleg. Prevalence of Sclerotinia stem rot, caused by the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, was heavily dependent on environmental conditions during the growing season. SSR prevalence ranged between 5 and 49% during this study. Clubroot, caused by the Protista Plasmodiophora brassicae, is an emergent disease and its prevalence has increased in the last three years, although it is still confined to Cavalier County. Nevertheless, its potentially to become a catastrophic disease requires that research be conducted to find ways to manage it. Aster yellows, caused by the phytoplasma Candidatus phytoplasma asteris, was relatively sporadic in North Dakota and was detected in less than 1% of fields scouted. The most common insect pest affecting canola production is the flea beetle, Phyllotetra cruciferae, which was observed in every field scouted in all years of the study. 2B. A logistic regression model that estimates the probability of pseudothecia maturation as a function of incubation temperature was developed. This model predicts the timing when ascospores, which are produced in the pseudothecia, could be ready for release. The study revealed that at 18 oC the percentage of stems containing mature pseudothecia increased at a rate four times greater (P =0.05) than at 8 oC or at 13 oC and that no differences in rate of maturity exist between the latter two temperatures. The model estimates at 50% the probability of having mature pseudothecia on stems incubated for 21 days at a daily average temperature of 15 oC. If the daily temperature is reduced to 12 oC the same probability would be reached after 49 days of incubation. maturation that uses relative humidity and cumulative air temperature as predictors was developed. 2C. Greenhouse and field trials revealed that seed treatments offer limited protection to canola plants against blackleg. Greenhouse studies showed the protective effect of fungicide seed treatments disappeared within three weeks from planting and that after that plants exposed to blackleg will be infected. 2D. The number of clubroot-infested fields in North Dakota jumped from 8 fields in 2016 to 33 fields by 2019. All fields have acidic pH and are in Cavalier County. Inoculum concentrations in infested fields ranged between 500 and 13 million cysts per gram of soil. Clubroot represents a clear and present danger to the canola industry of North Dakota. 3. Information generated through this project was shared with canola growers and researchers using various methods that include presentations at field days, and posters and slideshows at professional meetings and at winter meetings with growers. In addition, a refereed manuscript and abstracts of presentation were produced.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Chapara V. 2018. Evaluation of various soil amendments to manage Clubroot on Canola in field condition. Oral Presentation in Clubroot international workshop conducted in Edmonton Convention Center, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, August 6-9, 2018.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Chapara V, L. Lubenow, N. Kalwar, A. Chirumamilla, K. Chittem, and L. del Rio. 2019. Monitoring and management of Plasmodiophora brassicae on canola in North Dakota. 15th International Rapeseed Congress. June 16-19, 2019. Berlin, Germany.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Del Rio Mendoza, L. E., K. Chittem, F. Shahoveisi, S. G. C. Upadhaya, and S. Ruud. 2019. Status of blackleg on spring canola in U.S.A. 15th International Rapeseed Congress. 2019. June 16-19, 2019. Berlin, Germany.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Chapara V. 2018. Clubroot of Canola: Prevalence and Evaluation of Soil Amendments. Oral Presentation in 2018 ASA, CSSA and CSA International Annual Meetings conducted in Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, MD, USA, November 4-7, 2018.


Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/19

Outputs
Target Audience:Research results were presented to two types of audiences: 1) the scientific community working on canola production problems: this audience was addressed twiceduring the reporting period using posters, verbal presentations, and peer-reviewed manuscripts. 2)canola growers and stakeholders: research results were presented to these audiences as verbal presentations in annual field days at two locations, and in winter meetings using slideshows. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project provided training for one graduate student who completed her work for MS degree in Plant Pathology. The student participated at two professional meetings during the reporting period where she presented results of her research. Results of the research conducted during the reporting period was presented to 130 North Dakota famers during field days and growermeetings. Also, research results were presented to the scientific community through presentations at regional and national professional meetings reaching an audience of more than 800 scientists. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We have two main audiences, farmers that produce canola and scientists that conduct research on canola diseases. Farmers have been presented with up-to-date information on disease management and the research conducted by this project through field days and winter meetings. Research results have been presented to the scientific community through articles published in refereed journals and through presentations at regional, national, and international professional meetings. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? This progress report covers activities conducted between 2018 and 2019 as part of an extension to finish research activities addressing objectives 2A, 2B, 2C, and 3. 2A. Determine prevalence of main canola pests and identification of other canola production problems. The 2019 growing season was not very conducive for disease development. Blackleg, caused by the fungus Leptosphaeria maculans, was the most prevalent disease in North Dakota and was detected in 44% of fields scouted although its average incidence was 4%. Sclerotinia stem rot, caused by the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, was detected in 12% of fields although at an average incidence <1%. Clubroot, caused by the Protista Plasmodiophora brassicae, and Aster yellows, caused by the phytoplasma Candidatus phytoplasma asteris, were observed in less than 1% of fields and their average incidence was <1%. Prevalence of the latter three diseases has been consistently low during the previous three years. The survey also showed that the most common insect pest affecting canola production is the flea beetle, Phyllotetra cruciferae, which was observed in every field scouted. 2B. Develop a blackleg warning-system for canola growers. A logistic regression model that estimates the probability of pseudothecia maturation as a function of incubation temperature was developed. This model could be used to predict the timing when ascospores, which are produced in the pseudothecia, could be ready for release. This study revealed that at 18 oC the percentage of stems containing mature pseudothecia increased at a rate four times greater (P =0.05) than at 8 oC or at 13 oC and that no differences in rate of maturity exist between the latter two temperatures. The model estimates at 50% the probability of having mature pseudothecia on stems incubated for 21 days at a daily average temperature of 15 oC. If the daily temperature is reduced to 12 oC the same probability would be reached after 49 days of incubation. maturation that uses relative humidity and cumulative air temperature as predictors was developed. 2C. Evaluate seed treatments for blackleg control. Greenhouse and field trials revealed that seed treatments offer limited protection to canola plants against blackleg. Greenhouse studies showed that the protective effect of fungicides applied to seeds disappeared within 21 days after planting leaving plants exposed to blackleg infection when they still are at a susceptible growth stage. 3. Information generated through this project was shared with canola growers and researchers using various methods that include presentations at field days, and posters and slideshows at professional meetings and at winter meetings with growers. In addition, a refereed manuscript and abstracts of presentation were produced.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2019 Citation: Upadhaya, S., V. Chapara, M. Rahman, and L. E. del R�o Mendoza. 2019. Efficacy of fungicide seed treatments in controlling blackleg of canola. Plant Health Prog. 20:160-164. doi.org/10.1094/PHP-05-19-0031-RS.
  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2019 Citation: Upadhaya, S. G. C. 2019. Developing a blackleg management package for North Dakota. MS Thesis. North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND. 90 p.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Upadhaya, S. G. C. and L. E. del R�o Mendoza. 2019. Modeling the temporal dynamics of Leptosphaeria maculans ascospore dispersal in North Dakota. Phytopathology 109:S2.140-S2.141.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Chittem, K. and L. E. del R�o Mendoza. 2018. NDSU Canola doctor: An informative app for optimizing canola production. Phytopathology 108:S2.24.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Upadhaya, S. G. C. and L. E. del R�o Mendoza. 2018. Fungicide seed treatments as a tool to manage blackleg of canola. Phytopathology 108:S2.26.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Upadhaya, S. G. C. and L. E. del R�o Mendoza. 2018. Evaluation of fungicide seed treatments for their efficacy in controlling blackleg of canola. Phytopathology 108:S1.158.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Markell, S., L. del R�o Mendoza, V. Chapara, and K. Chittem. 2019. Disease management and control. In: Canola production field guide NDSU Extension Service Bulletin A-1280, 70-93 pp.