While there are indicators that help predict disease prevalence in a growing season, the many factors that influence crop disease risk and severity keep farmers, agronomists and pathologists on their toes.

2020 has been a wet year for many on the Prairies, but this has less of an effect on crop disease than you may expect, according to Kelly Turkington, a plant pathologist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Lacombe, Alta. Turkington explains why infection levels vary by year, a variety of management methods, and the importance of pathologists in determining disease prevalence and severity.

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