BACKGROUND Hepatitis c virus (HCV), prevalent among 3% of the world population, is a major worldwide public health concern and an effective vaccination could help to overcome this problem. Plant seeds as low-cost vaccine expression platforms are highly desirable to produce antigens. OBJECTIVES The present study was aimed at investigating the possible expression of recombinant HCV core protein...

Canola co-products are sources of amino acid and energy in pig feeds, but their fermentation characteristics in the pig intestine are unknown. Thus, we determined the in vitro fermentation characteristics of the canola co-products Brassica juncea solvent-extracted canola meal (JSECM), Brassica napus solvent-extracted canola meal (NSECM), B. napus expeller-pressed canola meal (NEPCM) and B. napu...

In Sri Lanka, mustard (Brassica juncea) is cultivated as a subsidiary crop for the seeds used as a condiment in cooking. In the Indian sub-continent, however, it is an important oilseed crop used as a source of vegetable oil. Mustard has over 45% erucic acid (C22:1) which is unsuitable nutritionally for human consumption. The Brassica oilseed species, B. napus and B. campestris, were developed ...

Clubroot disease resistance has been introgressed from Brassica rapa into canola following different approaches including a B. napus × interspecific cross; however, the details of this cross are not available. To extend our knowledge for introgression to multiple pathotypes, we crossed clubroot-resistant turnip with susceptible and backcrossed F1′s canola. The backcross population was subjected...

A pathogenicity gene has been identified in Leptosphaeria maculans, the ascomycetous fungus that causes blackleg disease of canola (Brassica napus). This gene encodes isocitrate lyase, a component of the glyoxylate cycle, and is essential for the successful colonization of B. napus. It was identified by a reverse genetics approach whereby a plasmid conferring hygromycin resistance was inserted ...

Improving crop yields are essential to meet the increasing pressure of global food demands. The loss of high quality land, the slowing in annual yield increases of major cereals, increasing fertilizer use, and the effect of this on the environment all indicate that we need to develop new strategies to increase grain yields with less impact on the environment. One strategy that could help addres...

For the enhancement of cultural control, the agricultural practices such as intercropping can profoundly affect the insect pest populations. Studies were undertaken to examine the effects of intercropping wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) with canola (Brassica napus L.) on the incidence of aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae) population and related crop yield. Study observed ...

Field pea (Pisum sativum), canola (Brassica napus), turnips (Brassica rapa) and Berseem clover (Trifolium alexandrinum) were grown in north central Alberta to assess their potential yield and quality and to evaluate their utilization and preference by white-tailed deer. Herbage DM yield, crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), absolute and relative herbage utilization, and dietary pr...

The frequency of gene flow from Brassica napus L. (canola) to four wild relatives, Brassica rapa L., Raphanus raphanistrum L., Sinapis arvensis L. and Erucastrum gallicum (Willd.) O.E. Schulz, was assessed in greenhouse and/or field experiments, and actual rates measured in commercial fields in Canada. Various marker systems were used to detect hybrid individuals: herbicide resistance traits (H...