Integrated Management Strategies for Blackleg Disease of Canola Amidst Climate Change Challenges

TL;DR

This review discusses strategies to manage blackleg disease in canola as climate change worsens its spread and impact.

Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive review of integrated disease management strategies for blackleg, emphasizing climate adaptation and emerging technologies.

Findings

Climate change increases blackleg severity by altering environmental conditions favorable to the pathogen.

Integrated disease management strategies like crop rotation and resistant cultivars are effective but need improvement.

Emerging tools like CRISPR/Cas9 and AI can enhance sustainable blackleg management.

Abstract

Blackleg caused by a hemi-biotrophic fungus Plenodomus lingam (syn. Leptosphaeria maculans) poses a significant threat to global canola production. Changing climatic conditions further exacerbate the intensity and prevalence of blackleg epidemics. Shifts in temperature, humidity, and precipitation patterns can enhance pathogen virulence and disease spread. This review synthesizes the knowledge on integrated disease management (IDM) approaches for blackleg, including crop rotation, resistant cultivars, and chemical and biological controls, with an emphasis on advanced strategies such as disease forecasting models, remote sensing, and climate-adapted breeding. Notably, bibliometric analysis reveals an increasing research focus on the intersection of blackleg, climate change, and sustainable disease management. However, critical research gaps remain, which include the lack of region-specific forecasting models, the limited availability of effective biological control agents, and underexplored socio-economic factors limiting farmer adoption of IDM. Additionally, the review identifies an urgent need for policy support and investment in breeding programs using emerging tools like AI-driven decision support systems, CRISPR/Cas9, and gene stacking to optimize fungicide use and resistance deployment. Overall, this review highlights the importance of coordinated, multidisciplinary efforts, integrating plant pathology, breeding, climate modeling, and socio-economic analysis to develop climate-resilient, locally adapted, and economically viable IDM strategies for sustainable canola production.

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