Flea beetles are the most economically-damaging pest of canola. Researchers at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada initiated a project to develop canola lines with superior resistance to the crucifer flea beetle by enhancing a natural insect control system.

The abundance of pollinators in canola fields have the potential to boost yields and improve seed quality.

Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan’s Lipid Quality and Utilization (LQU) program conducted several projects from 2014 to 2017, focusing on the development of industrial projects from vegetable oils.

The swede midge, Contarinia nasturtii, is a significant pest of brassica vegetable crops and canola in eastern Canada. It was first discovered in Saskatchewan in 2007 where it now threatens the canola industry.

Modern canola varieties are derived from a relatively small subset of the genetic diversity found within available collections of Brassica napus germplasm. Intensive selection for specific quality traits has further narrowed the genetic diversity within elite breeding lines.

Cutworms are present across the Prairies, and in some years some species of cutworms can reach levels that are of economic concern in field crops. Researchers conducted a five-year project across the Prairies to develop better identification tools and a better understanding of cutworm biology and their natural enemies.

As canola production in western Canada continues to increase, one of the remaining obstacles to maximizing investments is generating significant value from the meal, particularly as an animal protein source.

Nitrogen (N) fertilizer is one of the key inputs in most annual crop production systems, however, N fertilization strategies and decisions may also have longer-term implications for N dynamics in cropping systems.

Clubroot is a destructive soil-borne disease that represents a potentially serious threat to canola production in Saskatchewan. In a recent three-year study, researchers investigated the possibility of eradicating small areas of infestation if they were identified early enough, assessed different actives and determined the distribution of the pathogen in soils.

Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan conducted a large multiple project canola research program over five years to quantify protein structure and subfractions in canola seed and canola meal in relation to nutrient availability in animals.

Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan conducted a large multiple project canola research program over five years to quantify protein structure and subfractions in canola seed and canola meal in relation to nutrient availability in animals.

Crop diseases can be devastating to the profitability of producers, and certain diseases are particularly problematic, such as clubroot, blackleg and aster yellows.

Canola, one of the world’s most valuable oilseeds, is under constant pressure by the fungal pathogen, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, the causal agent of white stem rot.

Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan conducted a large multiple project canola research program over five years to quantify protein structure and subfractions in canola seed and canola meal in relation to nutrient availability in animals.

A five-year laboratory and field study was conducted to evaluate seed treatments for control of crucifer flea beetles (CFB) and striped flea beetles (SFB) on hybrid canola.

Canola is a crop associated with large seed losses before and at harvest, including from pod shatter and pod drop. Researchers conducted a three-year study to develop and refine a method for measuring pod-retention resistance.

Although outbreaks are sporadic, the bertha armyworm continues to be an economically significant pest of canola in western Canada.

Sclerotinia stem rot causes significant yield loss for canola in western Canada each year; however, the impact to individual fields varies dramatically depending on specific environmental and weather conditions.

Sulfur (S) fertilizers have become an important part of the fertilizer mix for Saskatchewan growers, not only for canola, but also for pulse and cereal crops. The overall objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of different fertilizer forms as sources of plant available S to crops.

Clubroot, resulting from an infection by Plasmodiophora brassicae is a devastating disease of canola. Researchers initiated a five-year study in 2010 to investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms of P. brassicae infection, and to develop molecular markers and tools for utilizing pathogen protein targets for improved resistance to clubroot disease in canola.