Yield losses in canola in response to blackleg disease

Blackleg, caused by Leptosphaeria maculans (Desm.) Ces. & De Not., is an important disease of canola (Brassica napus L.) worldwide. In Canada, blackleg is managed mainly by the cultivation of resistant or moderately resistant canola hybrids. Field experiments were conducted in Edmonton, AB, Canada, in 2017 and 2018 to determine the relationship between blackleg disease severity and yield in the moderately resistant canola hybrids '73-15RR' and '1950RR'. Blackleg severity was rated on a 0-5 scale, where 0 = no disease and 5 = plant death. Regression analysis showed that relationships between disease severity and pod number and seed yield were best explained by second-degree quadratic equations in all site-years for both cultivars. Percentage yield loss increased by 18%-99% and 26%-86% in plants of '73-15RR' and '1950RR', respectively, with disease severities of 2-5 compared with plants with severities of 0-1. An improved knowledge of the relationship between blackleg severity and yield losses is important for a more accurate evaluation of the agronomic efficacy and economic benefits of control measures.