MustGrow Biologics Corp. (TSX-V:MGRO, OTCQB:MGROF, FRA:0C0) has announced positive results from a two-year field trial program testing its mustard-derived organic biocontrol product, TerraMG, on approximately 100 acres of canola across the Canadian Prairies.
The trials, conducted through MustGrow’s marketing and distribution subsidiary NexusBioAg, evaluated TerraMG’s effectiveness in suppressing clubroot (Plasmodiophora brassicae), a soil-borne parasitic disease that affects canola and for which no registered control products currently exist.
Clubroot can severely reduce yields by causing gall formation on roots, disrupting water and nutrient uptake, and in some cases resulting in complete crop loss.
According to MustGrow, TerraMG-treated plots showed reductions in Clubroot resting spore concentrations and lower incidence and severity of root galls compared with untreated controls.
In 2024, a wetter growing season contributed to higher disease pressure, and TerraMG achieved up to a 95% reduction in spore levels. Corresponding yield improvements were reported at up to 7 bushels per acre, representing an estimated $91 per acre increase in value based on average commodity prices.
In 2025, drier conditions and lower disease pressure resulted in smaller yield increases of 1–2 bushels per acre relative to untreated plots.
TerraMG releases naturally occurring isothiocyanates from mustard seed meal, which have fungicidal and biocidal activity against soil-borne pathogens. MustGrow is pursuing registration of the product through Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency.
Canola is Canada’s most valuable field crop, with 2025 production estimated at 21.8 million tonnes, generating roughly $14 billion in value. Current strategies for managing Clubroot include long crop rotations, sanitation practices, and genetically resistant canola varieties, although new pathotypes of the disease have reduced the effectiveness of resistant hybrids.