Canola blackleg spore shower risk forecast for Western Australia – 15 May 2023

Page last updated: Monday, 15 May 2023 - 11:54am

Please note: This content may be out of date and is currently under review.

The DPIRD blackleg forecast model predicts the dates of spore maturation on canola stubble. Spore showers will commence soon after the spores are mature in the fruiting bodies. The model then predicts the risk of matching spore release with the seedling susceptible stage of the crop (4 – 6 leaf stage). The current forecast is based on weather data (1st January to 15th May 2023) from the nearest weather station. Projections assume four millimetres (mm) of rainfall per week from now until the end of the year.

Spore shower risk forecast map

Map showing the relative current risk of spores coinciding with the seedling stage based upon Blackleg Sporacle Model outputs for various locations in Western Australia, 15th May 2023.
Map showing the relative current risk of spores coinciding with the seedling stage based upon Blackleg Sporacle Model outputs for various locations in Western Australia, 15th May 2023.

If you are using the BlacklegCM decision support tool you can manually enter the blackleg risk levels that relate to your sowing date and location into the app under the “Crop Circumstances – Spore maturity risk” section. If you would like a location to be added to this forecast page please email CropDiseaseTools@dpird.wa.gov.au.