A scientific-extension lecture under the production assistant project entitled "Rapeseed diseases (identification and management)" was delivered by Dr. Alireza Dalili, the faculty member of the Agricultural and Natural Recourses Research and Education Center of Mazandaran province on Wednesday, September 9. This lecture was organized by the Department of Research and Technology affairs in the form of a video conference for the faculty members, researchers and experts in the field of agriculture and extension from all over the country.

In this speech, it was stated that blackleg disease is one of the most important diseases of canola and reduces the quality and quantity of the crop. This disease is of special importance in different provinces of the country and is caused by a fungus with the scientific name of Leptosphaeria maculans which attacks different parts of canola such as crown, root, cotyledon, leaf, stem and pod. White stem rot is another disease of this plant which is very important, especially in the northern provinces of the country. The symptoms on the leaves first appear as a small spot of burnt water, which then turns gray. A small wound develops on the stem, which over time appears as white spots. As the disease progresses theses spots surround the stem and spread up and down in a wavy form. Disease strains form inside the infected tissue and often in the stem marrow, but in humid conditions it may form on the surface of the stem. To control blackleg disease and white rot of rapeseed, various methods such as crop rotation, residue management, flooding or cultivation in paddy lands, weed control, healthy seeds, tolerant cultivars and fungicides are used.