Farmers urged to start clubroot scouting at harvest

“Scrape the debris back, get a little spade or shovel and dig down three or four inches and take a core of that sample,” he said. “Put it in the bag and seal it up.”

The soil test costs $100 and is being covered by SaskCanola.

Truman said it’s money well spent.

“We feel it is providing value to our levy paying farmers. We’re very serious about getting a handle on this invasive disease at the front end not when we have a major problem,” Truman said.

Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture staff and the six Plant Health Officers employed by the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities will be taking soil samples as part of the provincial survey. Truman said private sector agrologists are also being contacted to ensure the most at-risk fields are identified and tested.

“Agrologists are scouting the fields already. They can play a role and suggest to a farmer to do a soil test and find out what the soil health is like,” he said. “If it doesn’t show up and there aren’t any spores, that’s great.”

Truman said continuous soil testing is needed in Saskatchewan to keep the clubroot spores in check and avoid the severe infestation that has impacted parts of Alberta over the years.

“Luckily, it’s not a huge problem here and we want to keep it that way.”

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alice.mcfarlane@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @AliceMcF

by Alice McFarlane

Farmers urged to start clubroot scouting at harvest

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