Yield Loss Assessment in Canola: Effects of Brown Girdling Root Rot and Maggot Damage on Single Plant Yield

Single plant yield loss due to brown girdling root rot (Rhizoctonia solani) and cabbage root maggot (Delia spp.) damage was assessed in canola (Brassica rapa cvs. Reward and Tobin) to quantify the effects of root rot on yield and determine whether yield losses due to root rot are compounded by maggot damage. At crop ripening during 1998 and 1999, 2,000 plants from six growers' fields were scored for both root rot and maggot injury. The assessed roots were separated into eight categories constructed by crossing four classes of root rot severity based on degree of girdling and two classes of maggot damage based on percentage of the root surface with maggot tunnels. A ninth category was defined for partially to completely decayed roots for which it was not possible to determine maggot damage. There was no root rot by maggot injury interaction on any of the yield parameters measured. Furthermore, maggots had no adverse effects on yield at the observed damage levels. In contrast, plant weight, seed yield, harvest index, seed size, but not oil content were reduced on plants with completely decayed roots. On average, seed yield was not reduced on plants with roots with nongirdling lesions and superficial nonsinking girdling lesions, but was reduced by 17% on plants with roots with girdling and sinking lesions, and by 65% on plants with decayed taproots. Over 2 years, yield losses in growers' fields ranged from 1 to 5%.