The Canola AgriScience Cluster is a five-year research program funded through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) and the canola industry.
The best approach to manage blackleg disease is the use of canola cultivars that are genetically resistant to the pathogen. However, cultivars that contain the resistant (R) gene(s) against the most prevalent pathogen race(s) are more likely to be effective in controlling blackleg disease. Among the various tools developed from this and other similar projects, markers for race determination of blackleg pathogen and markers that determine the type of R gene in canola cultivars have the most practical and immediate benefit for canola farmers by helping them to achieve both goals.
We applied target capture sequencing to canola root galls and soil samples from three fields in Alberta. Sequencing data showed that the clubroot pathogen pathotype 3H was present in two fields. A third field sample showed presence of new mutations in one of the target sequences indicating presence of clubroot pathotype 3H and potentially other pathotype that were not present in our clubroot sequence dataset. We also determined the genotype of blackleg races from three canola stems infected with blackleg and determined a mixture of blackleg species as well as other pathogenic fungi present in these samples.
This project focused on increasing our knowledge on plant host-clubroot pathogen interactions by determining if reducing the ability of the pathogen to use the plant hormone auxin (responsible for cell grow, division and expansion in the plant) would reduce clubroot disease progression, particularly at the gall forming stage.
There is a pressing need to improve productivity of crops, in order to maximize yield without further expanding arable land. The ability to make further crop improvements relies on the introduction of novel allelic variation, one such source being related species; however, interspecific barriers to recombination limit the transfer of new variation into crops.
The tools developed and verified through this project will enable efficient development of resilient varieties. The results support potential of canola digital phenotypes to field-scale agronomic applications. The expansive data sets and samples generated through this project are and will be used in various research projects, extending the utility of grower-invested research dollars.
This facility will increase the overall capacity for insect and pest related research and will therefore benefit numerous researchers and projects at the USask. Finally, this facility will result in important training opportunities.
This is the first investigation into the infection by pycnidio- and asco-spores, as well as a mixture via wounds under the influence of cultivar resistance and fungicide seed treatment for blackleg disease in canola. The findings from this study suggested that it is feasible to produce ascospores and pycnidiospores in the lab and use these types of spores to test canola materials for blackleg resistance in both controlled environment and field conditions.
Clubroot poses a significant threat to canola growers. Although genetic resistance is critical for managing the disease, changes in pathogen virulence endanger its effectiveness. Second-generation resistance offers promise against pathotypes that can overcome first-generation resistance. However, without an understanding of pathogen virulence on second-generation resistance, we risk compromising its efficacy. This project provided data on the performance of second-generation clubroot-resistant cultivars in the field, along with insights into the virulence characteristics of pathogen populations collected from these cultivars.
Healthy soils form the basis of productive farming systems, and soil health tests can be useful tools to support good management decisions. The concept of soil health recognizes soil as a living and dynamic natural system, a notion that aptly fits in the realm of biology; however, soil health tests are often dominated by indicators of soil fertility and chemistry. Biological indicators of soil health remain understudied and underrepresented in soil health assessments.
Evaluation of Canola Meal as compared to Soybean meal in Practical California Rations: Effects upon long term lactational performance, reproductive performance and metabolic disease.
This research has been an integrated and collaborative approach to addressing the major research priorities around the new disease, verticillium stripe, in Canada. It includes four specific objectives; to measure yield loss, monitor disease development, evaluate canola genotypes resistant to verticillium stripe and determine the interacting effects of verticillium stripe and blackleg.
