Canola AgriScience Cluster Theme 4: Sustainability and Climate Change - Improving Nutrient and Water Use Efficiency
Term: 5 years, beginning in 2018
Status: Complete
SaskCanola Investment: $885,920 in Canola AgriScience Cluster Themes 3-6
Total Project Cost: N/A
Funding Partners: ACPC, MCGA and AAFC Canadian Agricultural Partnership
Administered By: Canola Council of Canada
Project Descriptions
1. Improving Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) and Soil Sustainability in Canola Production Across Canada
Researchers: Bao-Luo Ma, Mervin St. Luce, Yantai Gan, Luke Bainard, Gary Peng, Ramona Mohr, Cindy Gampe and Greg Semach (AAFC); Paul Tiege (Olds College); Rob Gulden (University of Manitoba)
Purpose: This project will address four objectives: (1) assess agronomic and economic responses of canola crop to nitrogen (N) fertilizer management in terms of nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), seed yield and crop standability; (2) improve NUE, crop productivity and lodging resistance of canola plants through best N management practices under different soil and cropping system conditions; (3) identify root architecture traits for efficient N acquisition, high NUE and strong anchorage strength; and (4) investigate the taxonomic and functional response of the soil microbiome to N management in terms of soil sustainability and N cycling.
2. Making of a More Sustainable Canola: Using Genetic Diversity to Improve NUE
Researchers: Sally Vail, Isobel Parkin, Raju Soolanayakanahally, Steven Robinson and Reynald Lemke (AAFC), Rosalind Bueckert, Melissa Arcand and Bobbi Helgason (University of Saskatchewan); Andrew Sharpe and Leon Kochian (GIFS); Robert Guy (UBC)
Purpose: Nitrogen is usually the biggest input cost for canola production, yet very little is known about N uptake and utilization in Brassica napus plants, especially for the spring type. This research project will advance the Canadian body of understanding using two main experiments – one under controlled conditions and one with a multi-environment field trials – to characterize whole-plant architectural characteristics and N-partitioning patterns of a diverse collection of B. napus. Data generated through these experiments will be used to test potential screening methodology and new rhizosphere N-cycling related traits. Discovery of natural variation within B. napus will be linked back to the agronomic management discoveries in Bao-Luo Ma’s project noted above.