Blackleg disease of canola in Australia

Abstract

Blackleg disease caused by the fungus Leptosphaeria maculans is the most important disease of canola worldwide. The impact of this disease on the development of the Australian canola industry, particularly over the last 20 years, is discussed. Deployment of a range of disease control measures has resulted in a thriving canola industry with production now approaching 4 million tonnes annually. Discoveries about disease mechanisms and key plant and fungal genes are described. Analysis of the L. maculans genome sequence has enabled an understanding of how fungal populations can evolve rapidly to overcome disease resistance bred into canola cultivars.