Blackleg disease of canola in western Canada has been effectively managed for the past 20 years through a combination of resistant varieties, adequate crop rotation intervals and good agronomics. Increased canola production in western Canada, in large measure through more frequent cropping in the rotation, has increased the risk that resistance to blackleg in current varieties may be defeated. ...

This list of the North American vegetable cultivars was developed using the database of cultivars registered with the American Seed Trade Association, as well as published descriptions from scientific journals and seed catalogs. Assistant editors responsible for each crop were instructed to obtain as much information as possible about the cultivars available to North American growers. The crop ...

Thirteen early-maturing and promiscuously nodulating soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] varieties that belonged to maturity group I developed at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) from 1980 to 1996 were evaluated at two locations in the Guinea savanna of Nigeria in 2001 and 2002 to determine genetic gain in grain yield and associated agronomic traits. The varieties were gr...

The earth is rapidly changing through processes such as rising [CO2], [O3], and increased food demand. By 2050 the projected atmospheric [CO2] and ground level [O3] will be 50% and 20% higher than today. To meet future agricultural demand, amplified by an increasing population and economic progress in developing countries, crop yields will have to increase by at least 50% by the middle of the c...

Genetic diversity underlies the improvement of crops by plant breeding. Landraces of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) can contain valuable alleles not common in modern germplasms. The aim was to measure genetic diversity present in 47 most common tomato varieties grown in Italy, 35 were varieties used for processing and 12 were landraces considered "salad varieties". Furthermore, we demonstrate...

Increases in demand for fruit of Morinda citrifolia in recent years have led to commercial farming of the trees. Typically as a crop makes the transition from wild-harvested to commercial orchard, there is a concurrent effort to select more desirable varieties and to improve the crop. In order to make these selections and improve the crop, researchers must know about the diversity found within ...

ventional monocultural crop systems often supported by high inputs of pesticides and fertilizers to sustainable agriculture. Although precise definitions of sustainable agriculture vary, one key aspect is a reduction in agrichemical inputs with a corresponding shift to alternative crop protection strategies, such as cultural practices, organic amendments, resistant or tolerant crop varieties, a...

Hybridization refers to the crossing breeding of two plants. Coefficient of Parentage (COP) is used by the plant breeders to determine the genetic diversity across various varieties so as to incorporate the useful characters of the two varieties to develop a new crop variety with particular useful characters. Genetic Diversity is the prerequisite for any cultivar development program. Genetic Di...

Increases in demand for fruit of Morinda citrifolia in recent years have led to commercial farming of the trees. Typically as a crop makes the transition from wild-harvested to commercial orchard, there is a concurrent effort to select more desirable varieties and to improve the crop. In order to make these selections and improve the crop, researchers must know about the diversity found within ...