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Canada is one of the largest wheat producers in the world, and wheat is grown over an area spanning most of the southern latitudes, with the prairie region (provinces of Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Manitoba) being the main producer. Several pathogens and pests attack wheat, but at present fusarium head blight (FHB), stripe rust, and leaf spots are the most damaging diseases to wheat production in Canada. Historically, smuts, stem rust, and leaf rust caused major crop losses in Canada and can still pose serious threat if management practices are relaxed. Cropping practices used by Canadian farmers to grow and harvest wheat over the last century have influenced disease development and pathogen biology, affecting the severity, incidence, and prevalence of crop diseases over time. Changes such as reduced tillage coincide with emergence of residue‐borne diseases, such as FHB and leaf spots, while the deployment of resistant cultivars and increased fungicide use has resulted in the reduction of common bunt, stem, and leaf rust. This review will discuss the influence of long‐term cropping practices, alone or in combination, on the biology, emergence, and prevalence of wheat diseases in Canada over the last century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goss’s bacterial wilt and leaf blight, caused by Clavibacter nebraskensis (syn. C. michiganensis subsp. nebraskensis), is a serious disease of corn. It is not new to North America, but in 2006, the number of outbreaks increased and the pathogen was reported in areas of the USA and Canada where it had not previously been found. The disease is increasing in distribution and severity and new areas such as the northern Prairies may be at higher risk as corn production acreage rises. Therefore, Goss’s wilt monitoring and subsequent management should be priorities in areas where the disease has appeared relatively recently, such as the Canadian Prairie provinces. This update summarizes the current status of Goss’s bacterial wilt and leaf blight in Canada including its geographic distribution as determined through recent monitoring activities and new detection methods. It also discusses current knowledge regarding pathogen biology, disease development, epidemiology and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A commonly used protocol for DNA extraction from Plasmodiophora brassicae was modified by adding an alkaline treatment step to increase the purity of resting spores. The quality of DNA extracted by the modified protocol was improved due to the removal of DNA contamination from host plant cells and other microorganisms., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)