Verticillium stripe (VS) of canola is caused by the fungal species Verticillium longisporum. It was first detected in 2014 and then found across the Prairies in disease surveys in 2015. Although new to Canada, it is a serious problem for canola growers in Europe – and there is potential for it to have a similar...

Investing in research at the early pre-breeding or germplasm-enhancement stage provides the foundational pieces that complement commercial hybrid seed breeding programs and the ultimate release of new traits and hybrids. SaskCanola strategically invests in canola research, including several upstream projects in germplasm enhancement and trait development. “Our pre-breeding research and innovation strategy encompasses germplasm enhancement,...

At SaskCanola, research continues to be a strategic priority, with about 40 per cent of SaskCanola’s annual budget allocated to this pillar. Since the establishment of SaskCanola in 1991, Saskatchewan canola producers have funded over 426 studies related to canola agronomy, trait development, alternative uses and more, with the goal to improve canola profitability. For...

The canola industry currently contributes over $26 billion annually to Canada’s economy, and faces evolving threats to yield and concerns from major export markets due to blackleg and verticillium stripe. Blackleg remains a serious disease of canola and can cause significant yield losses, especially in susceptible varieties. In Western Canada,yield losses as high as 50...

Science

SaskCanola’s research vision

Why is research critical to Canadian growers? Think of how far canola has come since 1991 when SaskCanola was formed and all the innovations that you have adopted on your farm. This includes major resistance genes to diseases that had the potential to wipe out canola production, herbicide tolerance traits, fertilizer recommendations, crop rotations, agronomic...