While this study found minimal impacts from crop rotation on root nutrient availability, frequency of canola in the rotation did show differences in the fungal microbiome associated with canola roots. More research is required to show what this means for canola productivity. “Canola frequency effects on nutrient turnover and root-microbe interactions” Tim Dumonceaux, AAFC Saskatoon,...

Biodiverse agricultural systems improve agricultural productivity and climate management. This study contributes to a better understanding of canola microbiota, which provide important information to improve canola yields and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by identifying crop rotations that could potentially reduce nitrogen fertilizer use. “Enhancing the beneficial root microbiome in canola” Chantal Hamel, AAFC Swift Current...

If canola could be transformed with two target genes for silicon uptake, the crop could become more tolerant to biotic (pathogen) and abiotic (weather) stress. In the end, this study could transform only one of the two target genes, and resulting stress tolerance to blackleg and drought were not noticeably different from controls. They determined...

Researchers wanted to see if soil protein, extracted using the ACE/MACE methods, is an appropriate measure of the soil nitrogen that potentially becomes available during the growing season. They found only a weak correlation, and concluded that current soil test recommendations provide an acceptable measure of biologically available nitrogen. “Revisiting nitrogen fertilizer recommendations for Saskatchewan:...