The broad phenotypic variation captured by the NAM population provided valuable novel genetic variations for the Canadian spring wheat breeding program. The high-quality haplotype map generated from this project could allow breeders to accurately impute genotypes with a low-resolution genotyping platform in their breeding program. Novel genetic variations for disease and agronomic traits identified by the NAM analysis provide new targets and breeder-friendly markers for wheat improvement. These established NAM genomic resources may also serve as a cost-efficient platform for Canadian wheat breeding programs to identify genetic markers of their targeted traits, as only phenotyping is required.
Read MoreHerbicide resistant weeds continue to increase in incidence and frequency, limiting weed management options available to producers. New management strategies are needed for producers to continue to successfully manage their weeds. Harvest weed seed control (HWSC) is a paradigm of weed control that focuses on managing weeds that are being spread by the combine harvester. These weeds retain their seeds until crop harvest, produce weeds at a height where they can be collected, and are successfully taken into the combine. One method of harvest weed seed control that may have a fit in western Canada are the physical impact mills.
Read MoreWheat is a staple crop in many Canadian prairie crop rotations. Yet as years pass, net profitability of this crop has declined despite significant breeding improvements in yield. Unfortunately, new or updated agronomic research in wheat has been minimal. However, if management practices are tailored to individual market classes and/or varieties it may be the key to enhancing the profitability of wheat.
Read MoreAgricultural drought is well recognized as inadequate moisture for crop production. Additionally, sporadic moisture deficits that escape public attention also impact crop economics. Statistics Canada noted in one of the many drought years in Saskatchewan and Alberta: “Dry conditions during the growing phase in much of Canada's wheat belt contributed to lower crop yields.” Heat and drought exacerbate the stress conditions and affect many biochemical, biophysical and developmental aspects in plants. Every degree Celsius above the optimal temperature can cause as much as 6% yield reduction in wheat. Drought and heat impact crop productivity more than all other biotic and abiotic stresses combined.
Read MoreDurum wheat is an economically important crop and the source of semolina for the production of pasta, couscous, and various types of baked products. Its market value is largely determined by the end-use quality traits. However, quality tests are labour and cost-intensive and most times, large quantities of samples are needed. Therefore, practising earlier selection on quality traits on a large scale within the breeding program is a challenge. The advent of advanced genetic and genomic approaches provided a feasible approach to predict quality and make a selection on such a large scale at earlier generations and ultimately release variety with improved wheat quality.
Read MorePlant diseases are responsible for at least 10% of yield losses in global food production. Incidence and severity of two important cereal crop diseases, Fusarium head blight (FHB) and tan spot are increasing with the impacts of climate change. FHB is responsible for mycotoxin contamination of grains and both diseases lead to significant yield damage. It was recently determined that barley, which was thought to be inherently resistant to tan spot, is susceptible to a race of the pathogen that has been identified in Canada.
Read MoreTan spot is one of the most destructive foliar wheat diseases in Canada. The causing pathogen is Pyrenophora tritici-repentis(Ptr),a fungus known to produce combinations of three effectors (toxins), namely ToxA, ToxB and ToxC. In Canada, ToxA is known as the most prevalent toxin and the only necrosis-inducing factor.
In this project, the
Read MoreEarly seed germination, seedling establishment and enhanced root development in spring are all critical factors to increasing yield through advanced flowering and avoidance of heat/drought stress in mid-summer. Advanced maturity also enables avoidance of frosts which can occur prior to harvest. Previous research showed that a recently developed, inexpensive catalytic seed treatment had significant effect on all three critical factors. This treatment (CAT) is based on a known catalytic reaction using a transition metal and may also be used for organic production.
Read MoreThe number of unique herbicide-resistant weed/site of action combinations continues to increase in Western Canada and around the world. The lack of new herbicides with a unique mechanism of action is leading to the development of alternative cultural and mechanical weed control practices.
Read MoreThis project gave rise to the development of technology that will find applications in wheat crop improvement. This one-year bridging project aimed at the development of better selection procedures for genetic engineering of triticale and wheat microspore mitochondria with the long-term objective of the introduction of the N2 biological fixation pathway into mitochondria of crops. The selection procedures were improved by modification of the cell and tissue culture protocols and by the construction of a novel, better selectable marker genes for mitochondria transformation using short peptide nanocarrier mediated delivery.
Read MoreFusarium head blight (FHB), caused by Fusarium spp., is a destructive disease of small grain cereals, such as wheat, barley, oat and canaryseed. Apart from grain yield losses and reduced baking and seed quality, a major concern with FHB is crop contamination with Fusarium-produced trichothecene mycotoxins, specifically deoxynivalenol (DON), also known as vomitoxin. These mycotoxins accumulate in the grain making it unfit for consumption by humans and animals. Significant DON contamination may render a crop unmarketable, or reduce the market value by 40-65%.
Read MoreBreeding spring wheat varieties carrying semi-dwarfing genes is of interest, as these varieties experience less lodging, have a higher harvest index (HI), and in some cases higher grain yield and quality. The Rht18 semi-dwarf gene was back-crossed into the CWRS variety “CDC Utmost” from durum wheat and the resulting Near Isogenic Lines (NILs) were evaluated over a period of four years for potential linkage drag effects on a number of agronomic and quality traits. The short NILs were, on average, 15 cm shorter than their tall counterparts. The three stem internodes that were measured in this study, were all shorter in the short NILs.
Read MoreThis study investigated the feasibility of converting a combine’s grain loss signal into a grain loss rate. More specifically, this was investigated by comparing the loss sensor signal to the actual grain loss rate to determine if a correlation exists or could exist using other technologies.
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