Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP)
SNP Development for Clubroot in Canola
The use of resistant cultivars is the only economic approach to reduce production losses caused by clubroot, but the pathogen has frequently overcome resistance genes employed for clubroot management. Thus it is critical to develop durable resistant cultivars for the Prairie region. There is some urgency surrounding the development of new resistant hybrids, given the emergence of new pathotypes. We believe that the most effective way to develop “durable resistance” will be to pyramid several new resistance genes into a single cultivar or rotate cultivars carrying different resistance genes. This will require the contribution of researchers to develop molecular tools for rapid gene selection and introgression.
DECEMBER 2021
Start Date
MAY 2023
End date
Goals & Objectives
Canola is crucial to the business interests of seed companies. However, the development of breeding populations is lacking for the characterization and implementation of quantitative trait loci associated with clubroot disease. Thus, the development of genetic markers associated with these economically important traits holds significant value for canola growers in Canada and around the globe. To address these challenges, we will use state-of-the-art next-generation genome sequencing, bioinformatics to identify genes, and gene clusters controlling the expression of disease resistance. A diversity analysis will be carried out for the Canola germplasm in order to design optimal SNP panels. These panels will be utilized for screening different mapping populations, trait discovery disease identification, and will be deployed for breeding purposes.
NRGene’s Activity Within the Project
Canola is one of the most valuable crops for Canadian farmers, providing an estimated $26.7 billion to the Canadian economy. Despite the advances in trait development, clubroot disease remains one of the most complex traits to manage in the field, and ways to overcome this disease hold tremendous commercial value. The technology developed in this project aims to make significant gains towards developing superior quality germplasm with a “durable resistance” to further improve Canada’s most important oilseed, to improve the quality of the seed produced, and to minimize economic losses to those in the seed industry. NRGene’s approach introduces a genetic variation using exotic germplasm from related species via an innovative genotyping platform in order to generate a clubroot resistance donor line with maximum speed.
Using this approach will tackle two main breeding problems
- Finding trait-related genetic variations
- The lengthy development time of new germplasms from wild accessions.