The Mountain View County agricultural service board (ASB) has reviewed the county's clubroot management procedure. The move came during the board's recent regularly scheduled meeting on April 10 in council chambers.
The clubroot procedure states that the ASB will review the policy and procedure annually to ensure it is kept current and up to date.
"The clubroot distribution within Alberta is estimated to be increasing around 20-25 kilometres a year," administration said in a briefing note to the board.
"A suspected clubroot location was found in the Cremona area in 2015. A moderate clubroot infestation was found in a field in the Olds area in 2016. A plan was enacted with each producer and the agricultural fieldman.
"A higher level of testing has been implemented on fields selected throughout the county in an attempt to detect infestations of clubroot."
Clubroot is a soil-borne disease of crucifers, including canola, mustard and vegetable crops such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, turnip and radish.
It is caused by plasmodiophora brassicae and causes club-shaped galls or swellings that restrict the uptake of water and nutrients by the plant.
The procedure states in part that, "random field inspections throughout the county will be conducted by the agricultural fieldman or designated pest inspectors appointed by Mountain View County."
The county's clubroot management procedure was recently updated to include that "initial positive identification of clubroot shall be confirmed by a laboratory test."
The procedure also states, in part, that, "when land is verified positive for clubroot the landowner will be notified and a management strategy to minimize the spread of clubroot within the field and the surrounding area will be decided upon between the landowner and the agricultural fieldman.
"A legal notice under the province of Alberta Agricultural Pests Act may be issued at the discretion of the agricultural fieldman. Adjacent landowners and affected parties will be notified at the discretion of the agricultural fieldman."
Board members passed a motion to inform the county's CAO that the board has conducted its review of the clubroot policy and procedure as required.
