Leptosphaeria maculans is the major pathogen of canola (oilseed rape, Brassica napus) worldwide. In Australia, the use of azole fungicides has contributed to the 50-fold increase in canola production in the last 25 years. However, extensive application of fungicides sets the stage for the selection of fungal populations with resistance. A high-throughput in planta assay was developed to allow s...

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling cascades, consisting of three types of reversibly phosphorylated kinases (MAPKKK, MAPKK, and MAPK), are involved in important processes including plant immunity and hormone responses. The MAPKKKs comprise the largest family in the MAPK cascades, yet only a few of these genes have been associated with physiological functions, even in the model p...

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...

Direct seeded canola (Brassica napus L.) has become increasingly popular in China’s key canola-producing regions. The studies on the K response of direct-seeded performance are limited. This research aimed to investigate utilization efficiency and canopy radiation interception rate direct winter at various application rates. Two seasons field trials were done with five levels (0, 75, 150, 225...

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...

Canola (Brassica napus) is one of the most important oil crops in the world. However, its yield has been constrained by salt stress. In this study, transcriptome profiles were explored using Digital Gene Expression (DGE) at 0, 3, 12 and 24 hours after H2O (control) and NaCl treatments on B. napus roots at the germination stage. Comparisons of gene-expression between the control and the treatmen...

The effects of a 4-year crop rotation and two tillage systems on blackleg (Leptosphaeria maculans) disease of canola were determined in a field experiment carried out from 1999 through 2002 at Carman, Manitoba. Crops in rotation were canola (Brassica napus) (C), wheat (Triticum aestivum) (W), and flax (Linum usitatissimum) (F). Rotations were done under conventional tillage (T) or zero-till (Z)...

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 ...

Blackleg, caused by Leptosphaeria maculans, is an important disease of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) in Canada and throughout the world. Severe epidemics of blackleg can result in significant yield losses. Understanding disease-yield relationships is a prerequisite for measuring the agronomic efficacy and economic benefits of control methods. Field experiments were conducted in 2013, 2014, a...