By Dan Singleton
MVP Staff
Mountain View County staff will be inspecting between 25 and 30 properties for possible clubroot infestation this growing season, say officials.
A presentation about the random inspection plans was made to the MVC agricultural services board at the board's regularly scheduled meeting on May 27.
Clubroot is a soil-borne disease that affects cruciferous crops such as canola, mustard and some vegetables. There have been no reported cases of the disease in Mountain View County, although there were reported cases in Red Deer County in 2012.
Manager of agricultural services Jane Fulton outlined the county's plans, which will be similar to inspections conducted last year.
The inspections will be focused on field entrances, low areas, and any other high-risk areas within the field, she said.
Priority inspection will be given to fields where inspectors notice canola that appears to be showing symptoms of clubroot, such as wilting, stunting, yellowing and early maturity.
As well, priority inspections will be given to fields where rotations have been limited and where canola is frequently grown; where the producer is known or believed to be involved in farming land outside the county; and where recent earth moving, pipelines, drilling or service rigs have entered onto the land.
Inspectors will be taking precautions to ensure against contamination, members heard. Those precautions include inspectors wearing disposable boot covers when inspecting fields, and inspectors who find a field with clubroot-type symptoms will not enter onto any other lands in the municipality until their footwear and any tools used can be sterilized using an appropriate disinfecting agent.”
If an inspector finds a suspected clubroot infestation, the agriculture fieldman will be notified immediately, and infections will be confirmed by laboratory analysis as soon as possible.
If an infestation is found, all canola fields that the farmer is known to be involved with will be inspected, including rented land.
Agricultural service board vice-chairman Everett Page said inspecting 25 – 30 canola fields should give a “good representation” of the county.
Members also reviewed the county's equipment cleaning requirements for agricultural equipment being brought into the county.
The cleaning requirements apply to equipment used in agriculture, oil and gas, utility companies, private contactors and municipal operations.
“MVC requires that any equipment brought in from outside the county be cleaned and free of soil and debris prior to entry,” the policy states.
“Pressure washing equipment will be adequate to achieve this in most circumstances.”
If the equipment is coming from a municipality known to be infected with clubroot, the equipment must be further disinfected to minimize any potential liability concerns.
“Movement within the county only requires hand cleaning to remove loose soil and debris unless specified otherwise by the landowner. If clubroot is found within the county, cleaning requirements for movement within the county may change.”
Board vice-chairman Page said oil and gas companies must be aware of the equipment cleaning requirements in MVC.
“We've got to keep clubroot out,” said Page.
Clubroot does not affect wheat, oats or barley.
