Bacterial and halo blight in Western Canada
At this time, it is unknown how the incidence and severity of bacterial and halo blight is/will be on the Western Canadian oat crop. Therefore, we advocate for seed testing that includes disease screening in addition to vigor, germ, and cold tolerance. If bacterial and halo blight are a concern in your growing area, it is best practice to use clean, disease free seed, and plant under warmer soil conditions. To learn more about bacterial blight please click this link for the video from Suncrest College (formerly Parkland College) and NARF. In addition, click this link for a picture of confirmed bacterial blight in oats.
