Canola (Brassica napus) is an oilseed crop with high nitrogen (N) fertilization requirements, and the within-plant distribution of N needs to be quantified in spring-habit commercial hybrids in Western Canada. A two-year study was conducted at three locations across Saskatchewan to characterize growth, N uptake and distribution of two cultivars under five N fertilizer rates (0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 kg N ha-1 ). Plant samples were taken at flowering, early pod fill, late pod fill and maturity and divided into organs (stem, leaf, pods, seeds when appropriate). Measurements included stem length, leaf area, dry matter, and tissue N concentration. Plant dry weight, tissue N concentration, N content and seed yield showed a positive response to N application. Different N fertilizer rates had little effect on the proportion of plant dry weight or the distribution of N within plant organs. At early flowering, half the shoot N was distributed in the leaves and rest in stems. Leaf area peaked at early flowering (~900 cm2 plant-1) and then declined, but plant height continued to increase to late pod-fill. Leaf and stem N was remobilized to developing seeds, showing the significance of this vegetative reserve to produce crops with an average yield of 1960 kg ha-1 containing 74 kg N ha-1 in seed. Hybrid canola had a harvest index of 40%, and placed 75% of its’ shoot N content in seed yield. Any increase in vegetative N reserves, such as leaf and stem, could further improve yield in semi-arid spring canola production.
‘AAC Varney’ is a spring, two row, general purpose barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) developed by the Ottawa Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri Food Canada. AAC Varney has high grain yield, good lodging resistance, and is moderately susceptible to Fusarium head blight caused by Fusarium graminearum Schwabe. The cultivar is recommended for commercial production in eastern Canada.
An experiment was undertaken to assess the physiological and biochemical responses of dragon fruit seedlings to ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) under varying intensities of water deficit stress. Seeds were treated with EMS at concentrations of 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.5%, and 1.0% (v/v), and uniform 6-month-old seedlings derived from these treatments were subjected to drought stress regimes representing mild, moderate, and severe stress. EMS exerted a concentration-dependent effect on phenotypic attributes of dragon fruit. Low EMS dose (0.1%–0.2%) sustained higher biomass, plant growth, and drought tolerance, whereas higher EMS levels (0.5%–1.0%) proved detrimental, causing pronounced growth suppression. Low EMS dose facilitated the maintenance of higher relative water content and chlorophyll levels during stress while reducing electrolyte leakage and better preserving membrane stability index and cell stability index. Accumulation of proline and phenols was significantly enhanced at low EMS dose. EMS, accompanied by reduced MDA, indicating lower lipid peroxidation. Antioxidant enzymes such as SOD, catalase, and ascorbate peroxidase were markedly enhanced under water stress at low EMS dose. Path analysis revealed that chlorophyll stability index, electrolyte leakage, and relative water content were the most influential predictors of biomass under water stress. The findings provide valuable insights into the response of EMS-treated dragon fruit plants under varying levels of water stress.
Pulse crop production in western Canada is under threat due to the impacts of Aphanomyces root rot. Narrow-leaved blue lupin (Lupin angustifolius L., hereafter lupin) is a potential novel pulse crop of interest in western Canada, as it has the benefits of a pulse crop but is resistant to Aphanomyces. Currently, recommendations for weed control via herbicides are limited due to limited registrations or information on control of western Canadian weeds. The objective of this study was to investigate lupin crop tolerance and western Canadian weed control with 14 pre-seeding herbicides and 5 in-crop herbicides at three locations over 3 years. Crop injury was limited from pre-emergence products; however, precipitation was limited, indicating that further investigation is warranted, particularly with products where there were single site-years with injury. Post-emergence applications of topramezone and fomesafen resulted in crop injury causing yield loss. Although weed control with pre-emergence products was limited due to limited precipitation, pyroxasulfone plus sulfentrazone and flumioxazin plus pyroxasulfone showed potential for use. Because precipitation dependency for pre-emergent products, a layered strategy utilizing pre-emergence residual products combined with post-emergence products is likely warranted.
A cropland plant survey was conducted for the Bridge to Land-Water-Sky Living Laboratory. The pre-harvest survey occurred in four annual cropped fields to evaluate the plant community found in the farmland. Wild buckwheat [Fallopia convolvulus (L.) Á.Löve], lambsquarters (Chenopodium album L.), and shepherd's-purse [Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik.] were the most abundant species. The presence of provincially noxious asters including Canada thistle [Cirsium arvense (L.) Scopoli] were detected at low densities (≤0.01 m−2) but are recommended scouting targets. Consultations between non-Indigenous and Indigenous farmers with Indigenous lands committees are advised to identify and protect culturally significant plants to Indigenous communities.
Kernza performance was evaluated over 3 years in Quebec to assess how intercropping with legumes and altered precipitation influence grain and forage yields of this novel dual-purpose crop. Grain yields were low and declined sharply regardless of intercropping, while forage yields and quality were generally higher in intercrops and stable across moisture treatments. Overall, Kernza–legume systems improved forage production but did not prevent grain yield decline, and elevated precipitation reduced grain performance more than moderate water stress.
Wheat stripe rust is one of the five priority-one diseases in western Canada. The resistance to rusts in wheat can be all-stage (ASR) or adult-plant resistance (APR), depending on the growth stage of the plant. In this study, 179 spring wheat cultivars and advanced breeding lines were screened for stripe rust, none showed any ASR. A small proportion of wheat genotypes showed some level of ASR to 1–3 of the five stripe rust isolates. The study concludes that Canadian spring wheat germplasm in the breeding programs lack ASR to stripe rust and any existing resistance is conferred by APR genes.
The benefits of including perennials in crop rotations are well established, yet recently perennial forages such as alfalfa have declined in use across the Canadian Prairies. This is due to decoupling of livestock and grain systems and concerns over water use. The role of short-term alfalfa phases within diversified grain systems remains underexplored in sub-humid regions such as southern Manitoba. This study evaluated whether adding a 2-year alfalfa phase to an annual grain rotation could provide agroecological benefits under Prairie conditions. A 20-year, fully phased, replicated field experiment at Glenlea, Manitoba compared a diversified annual rotation (wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)–flax (Linum usitatissimum L.)–oat (Avena sativa L.)–soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.)) with a perennial-inclusive rotation (wheat–flax–alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)–alfalfa), alongside climatic covariates including precipitation and vapour pressure deficit (VPD). Analyses focused on wheat and flax, the common crop phases between rotations. The perennial system required 50% less synthetic N than the annual system, produced higher flax yield (997 kg ha−1 vs. 725 kg ha−1, p < 0.0001), greater wheat grain protein (14.2% vs. 13.6%, p < 0.0001), and lower weed biomass (7.2% vs. 12.1%, p = 0.0013) and seedbanks (4.3 vs. 8.3 plants 170 cm−3). Wheat yield was unaffected by rotation, except under high VPD conditions in the perennial system. Integrating short-term alfalfa phases into diversified annual rotations reduced fertilizer dependence and improved agroecosystem performance with limited yield penalties, supporting their role in enhancing resilience under Prairie climate conditions.
Onion (Allium cepa L.) is a major vegetable crop in Ethiopia; however, its productivity in the irrigated systems of the Middle Awash area remains below potential due to limited availability of adaptable, high-yielding varieties. This study aimed to evaluate the agronomic and yield performance of selected onion varieties under irrigation and to identify farmer-preferred cultivars through participatory variety selection (PVS). Trials were conducted during the 2022 and 2024 seasons in the Amibara and Gewane districts using a mother–baby trial design. Mother trials were laid out on-station in a randomized complete block design with three replications, while baby trials were implemented on-farm with active farmer participation. Data on phenological, growth, physiological, biomass, and yield traits were collected, and farmers’ evaluations were conducted using trait-based pairwise ranking and scoring. Analysis of variance (SAS 9.2) revealed highly significant (p < 0.01) differences among varieties for most traits except bulb dry matter. Nafid emerged as the best-performing variety, characterized by early maturity (98 days), large bulbs, the highest marketable yield (41.99 t ha⁻¹), superior biomass, and the highest harvest index (80.87%). Nafis showed strong vigor and good bulb weight but produced more unmarketable bulbs, whereas Adama Red combined good bulb size and disease tolerance with moderate yield. Bombe Red and Nasic were late-maturing and less productive. Farmers’ rankings closely aligned with experimental results, consistently favoring Nafid, followed by Adama Red and Nafis. Overall, Nafid was identified as the most promising and farmer-preferred variety for scaling in irrigated onion production the Middle Awash area.
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) production in Ghana is increasingly constrained by recurrent drought and flood events, yet the adaptive capacity of local landraces to these abiotic stresses remains poorly understood. This study evaluated the morphological, physiological, and biochemical responses of eight tomato cultivars, including Ghanaian landraces, using a CRD with four replications per cultivar–treatment combination. The experimental factors were cultivar (eight levels) and watering regimes (three levels: well-watered control, continuous flooding, and severe drought ≤ 10% field capacity). Significant genotype × treatment interactions were observed for all traits, indicating diverse adaptive responses among cultivars. Overall, drought caused stronger growth suppression than flooding. Root length declined up to 2.09-fold under flooding and 1.61-fold under drought, while root volume decreased by 4.6- and 5.0-fold, respectively. Photosynthetic rate was highly sensitive to severe drought, with reductions reaching 13.8-fold in susceptible cultivars. Stress conditions also triggered biochemical adjustments, including 2.7-fold increases in total sugars, 2.3-fold rises in lipid peroxidation, and up to 98.8-fold proline accumulation, alongside intracellular CO2 increases of up to 61%. Tolerant cultivars such as Local Akoma and Scotia maintained relatively stable growth, higher antioxidant activity, and lower lipid peroxidation under both stresses. In contrast, sensitive cultivars including Local Pectofic L1, Italy 2 Charity, and Pectofic L2 showed marked morphological reductions, impaired photosynthesis, and elevated oxidative damage. Correlation and multivariate analyses indicated that flood tolerance was associated with maintenance of root function and antioxidant protection, whereas drought tolerance relied on osmolyte accumulation and antioxidant activity despite reduced growth. Molecular and OMICS–based approaches are recommended to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the observed changes.
Ice nucleation in plants (intrinsic and extrinsic) is a broad research topic, which covers both avoidance and tolerance strategies. Our review is focused on avoidance strategies against late spring frosts that will increasingly impact both fruit trees and herbaceous plants as climate change becomes more extreme. Most active frost protection methods are dependent on sprinkler irrigation, heaters, and fans, however these practices are often expensive, environmentally damaging, or may lose effectiveness under certain freezing conditions. Here, we review and comment on the efficacy of alternative spray-based strategies including bactericides, insulators, cryoprotectants, ice nucleation inhibitors, bio-stimulants, anti-transpirants, and hydrophobic films. Adjusting hormonal and genetic factors involved in cuticle development may also enable actively groawing plants to become more freeze-resistant by blocking extrinsic nucleation and preventing damage. The cuticle is the first line of defense for many abiotic and biotic stresses, and strengthening this barrier for multistress resistance should be further investigated.
Grain size is a key determinant of yield in bread wheat and remains an important target for genetic improvement in elite cultivars. The gene Grain Weight 2 (TaGW2), encoding a RING-type E3 ubiquitin ligase, is a negative regulator of grain development in cereals and represents a promising target for precision breeding. In this study, we used CRISPR/Cas9 to disrupt TaGW2 in the widely grown Canada Western Red Spring wheat cultivar AAC Brandon. A single guide RNA targeting exon 1 was designed to edit the A, B, and D homeologs. Following Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, heat-shock-enhanced editing, and segregation of the transgene, we obtained transgene-free lines carrying homozygous mutations in either the A subgenome or both A and B subgenomes, whereas no D subgenome mutants were recovered. Frameshift mutations in the A and B copies introduced premature stop codons and reduced transcript abundance in mature grains (Zadoks growth stage 90-99). Edited lines showed a 9% increase in grain area and ~14% higher thousand grain weight compared with wild type. However, grain number per plant declined by approximately 30%, in the double mutant, resulting in no significant change in total grain weight per plant. These results confirm TaGW2 as a negative regulator of grain size in elite Canadian wheat line.
Wheat improvement faces the challenge of ensuring superior and consistent grain yield under variable agroclimatic and environmental conditions. This study evaluated a spring wheat double haploid population of AAC Brandon/Pasteur for yield and yield stability at three Canadian sites, Ottawa ON, Brandon MB, and Swift Current SK from 2021 to 2023. Agronomic data were analyzed to assess genotype by environment (G × E) interactions, and yield stability. Stability analysis showed correlation among stability indices and that visualization techniques, including additive main effects and multiplicative interaction and GGE biplots, captured significant G × E interaction. Several genotypes with superior yield performance and stability across environments were identified. SNP-based genotypic data was used to detect quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with key agronomic traits and yield stability. Major QTL were detected across chromosomes for each trait: plant height (1A, 2D, 4B, and 5B), days to maturity (5B, 7D), grain yield (2A, 6D), test weight (3A, 4B, and 5A), thousand kernel weight (2B, 4A, and 4B), and protein content (1A, 4D, and 7A). QTL for grain yield stability traits were detected on chromosomes 1A, 2A, 2B, and 2D. Several superior high yielding and stable genotypes, along with associated SNP markers associated with improved yield across diverse environments were identified.
Dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) production practices in Canada include application of nitrogen (N) fertilizer to overcome historically low biological N fixation. This is the first investigation of yield, nodulation, and economic response of modern cultivars to N fertilizer rates in Manitoba. The response of one pinto and one navy bean cultivar to five rates of N fertilizer (0, 39, 78, 118, and 157 kg N ha−1) without inoculation was evaluated across five site-years in southern Manitoba. Nitrogen treatment had no interactive effect with bean type on nodulation or seed yield. Nodulation of dry bean was not affected with 39 kg N ha−1 but was reduced with rates of 78 kg N ha−1 or higher. Seed yield increased linearly with N rate and was significantly greater than the 0 N rate at the highest rate of N (157 kg N ha−1) only. Application of N fertilizer at any rate did not increase economic return compared to the noninoculated, nonfertilized control. The relatively high yields achieved in this study and the noneconomical yield response to N fertilizer suggest that N rates may be reduced in dry bean production if future work can confirm that native soil rhizobia are compatible with widely grown dry bean cultivars for biological N fixation.
While CRISPR/Cas-based gene editing technologies have the potential to greatly advance crop breeding endeavours, intellectual property-related challenges can hinder the ability to move such varieties to market. Recently, an open-access Cas enzyme derived from large language models (OpenCRISPR-1) was developed and shown to function effectively in human cells and rice. In this study, we demonstrate the use of this nuclease in a polyploid plant species (Medicago sativa), with mono- or bi-allelic editing observed in 30% of genotypes bearing OpenCRISPR-1. These findings indicate that OpenCRISPR-1 holds promise to expand the use of gene editing technology in the breeding of polyploid crops.
Pectobacterium and Dickeya species are pectolytic Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria that cause blackleg and soft rot (BSR) in potato. Analysis of 329 diseased potato samples from Western Canada between 2021 and 2024 by bioassay and multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) revealed an increase in the Pectobacterium species diversity and confirmed the absence of the relatively aggressive Dickeya species. Previous studies reported that blackleg and soft rot in Western Canada were caused mostly by Pectobacterium atrosepticum and Pectobacterium carotovorum. Recovery of additional relatively pathogenic Pectobacterium polaris, Pectobacterium parmentieri, and most recently Pectobacterium brasiliense, was observed more frequently in the present study. A rapidly expanding potato industry is increasing seed movement between regions and environmental conditions are contributing to blackleg incidence, diversity, and impact. Although low temperatures at sprouting usually increase the incidence of blackleg, the occurrence of highly pathogenic Pectobacterium species produced blackleg even under relatively dry and warm conditions. Isolation and characterization of blackleg pathogen endemic lytic bacteriophage from field samples identified members of the Siphoviridae. Phage bioassays reduced P. brasiliense disease severity by >90%, providing an environmentally friendly biocontrol treatment to enhance potato yield and quality. Application of integrated pathogen management strategies will minimize disease losses associated with increasing pathogen diversity, an expanding industry, and climate challenges.
OAC Vortex (CFIA Registration No. 8716) is a full-season black bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivar with high yield potential and resistance to bean common mosaic virus (BCMV) and common bacterial blight (CBB), and partial tolerance to white mold. Developed by the Dry Bean Breeding Program at the University of Guelph for production in Ontario, OAC Vortex demonstrated competitive and stable seed yield across multi-environment trials conducted from 2015 to 2017. Seed yield of OAC Vortex was significantly higher than that of the check cultivar Zenith in several environments. The cultivar also exhibited desirable agronomic characteristics, including acceptable harvestability, consistent seed size, and maturity comparable to the check cultivars. Canning quality attributes, including hydration coefficient, drained weight, texture, and appearance, were comparable to those of the check cultivars. With its strong agronomic performance, good processing quality, and broad adaptation to bean-growing regions of southern and western Ontario, OAC Vortex represents a valuable cultivar option for dry bean producers.
CTH274 is a flue-cured tobacco hybrid with moderate resistance to tobacco cyst nematode ( Globodera tabacum tabacum), a new pest problem in Southwestern Ontario. The yield is 7.2% higher compared to the widely grown check cultivar CTH14. The leaf quality is comparable to the check cultivar. CTH274 provides greater potential for higher economic returns due to its high yield. Compared to CTH14, CTH274 flowers 3 days earlier and has slightly higher percent lamina. CTH274 offers a promising choice for growers who have tobacco cyst nematode infestation on their farms.
Doubled haploid (DH) winter wheat population '25R56'/'E1007R' was evaluated for yield-related traits across four environments in Ontario, Canada. The objectives were (1) to evaluate agronomic traits (plant height, heading date, yield, and test weight) and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI); (2) to calculate the correlations among evaluated traits, and (3) to compare population performance with selected check varieties. Experiments were conducted at Ridgetown and Elora in 2015 and 2016. Widespread stripe rust occurred across Ontario in 2016. Yield showed a positive correlation with sum-NDVI (r = 0.87, p < 0.01) and test weight (r = 0.65, p < 0.01), while heading date was negatively correlated with yield. NDVI values decreased over the course of the growing season. The mean values of the DH lines across environments were comparable to those of the parents and checks. Importantly, stripe rust severity showed a significant negative correlation with both yield (r = -0.30 and r = -0.48, at Ridgetown and Elora, respectively) and NDVI (r = -0.58 and r = -0.24, at Elora and Ridgetown, respectively) at the ripening stage, indicating that late-season infection reduced green leaf area and lowered crop productivity.
