Goss’s Wilt Disease Surveillance in Manitoba Pratisara Bajracharya1, Morgan Cott2, Lorne Adam3, Atta Soliman3, Earl Bargen1, Rejean Picard1, Nicole Clouson1, Holly Derksen1 and Fouad Daayf3

1Manitoba Agriculture,2Manitoba Corn Growers Association 3Department of Plant Science, University of Manitoba

• Goss’s wilt is a bacterial disease of corn caused by

Clavibacter mIchiganensis subsp nebraskensis (CMN)

• This disease can cause both foliar and systemic wilt

symptoms

• Typical foliar symptoms include water soaked lesion

appearing like freckles and production of bacterial exudates

• Sand blasting, injury due to wind and hail event may

contribute in development of Goss’s wilt infection

Photo Courtesy : MAFRI

Goss’s Wilt Disease

Rural Municipality 2014 2015 2016

Boissevain-Morton ** ** +

Cartier ** ** +

Dufferin + + +

Emerson Franklin - + +

Grey - + +

Hamiota ** ** +

Hanover - + +

Macdonald - - +

Montcalm + + +

Morris + + +

North Cypress-Langford - ** +

North Norfolk - + +

Pembina ** ** +

Portage la Prairie + - +

Rhineland + + +

Rockwood ** ** +

Roland + + +

Rosser ** ** +

St. Andrews ** ** +

St. Clements ** ** +

Stanley + + +

Ste. Anne - - +

Tache ** - +

Thompson + ** +

Whitemouth ** + +

Woodlands ** ** +

Oakland ** ** +

** Not sampled, + Tested positive , - Tested negative

Fig 1. Foliar symptoms of Goss’s Wilt Disease of corn

Disease survey

• The Goss’s wilt survey was only focussed on major corn

growing areas in Manitoba prior to 2016

• In 2016, thirty seven rural municipalities (RM) in five crop

reporting districts were surveyed by Manitoba Agriculture in

partnership with Manitoba Corn Growers Association and

University of Manitoba

• A total of 142 fields were surveyed throughout August and

September

• The number of fields to be surveyed in each RM was

determined based on the corn acres in 2016

• Visual inspections were done to assess presence of Goss’s

wilt in the fields

Cumulative Results of Goss’s Wilt Surveys Survey Results (2016)

Acknowledgements

Table 1. Goss’s wilt detection in different rural municipalities

from 2014-2016

The positive identifications in the RM’s in red were identified from outside the

survey areas

Les Mitchell (Manitoba Agriculture)

• Goss’s wilt was detected in 42 % of the surveyed fields in

2016

• 24 out of 37 surveyed rural municipalities were found to be

positive for foliar symptoms and a total of 59 positive cases

were identified

• 7 out of 9 fields in Interlake region were positive and all

surveyed RMs in this region were positive

• 97 fields were surveyed in Central Manitoba and 34 were

positive

•16 out of 24 fields in Eastern region were positive

• Positive detections in RMs of Portage la Prairie, North

Cypress- Langford and Oakland were reported from outside

survey sources

• The preliminary results of the survey indicate that the type

of corn hybrid and field history may affect disease

development