Research Results

In the late 1990s, fungicide application was the most important control method for Sclerotinia stem rot of canola for most producers.

The cabbage seedpod weevil was first discovered in 1995 in canola fields in Alberta; and by 1999 serious outbreaks occurred throughout southern and central Alberta.

A three-year study was conducted to evaluate the resistance and tolerance of mustard, rapeseed and canola lines to the crucifer flea beetle, Phyllotreta cruciferae, and identify lines with superior agronomic attributes including seedling establishment, plant growth and seed yield.

An analysis of yield trends in Saskatchewan for various major crops have shown that although yields of barley and flax have been continuously increasing from the 1960’s through to 1999, canola yields have remained stagnant between 1991 and 1999.

Crucifer root maggots are an economic pest of canola production. However, the extent of root maggot injury to canola across the prairies was not known.

Researchers at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Research Station in Swift Current wanted to determine the adaptability of B. juncea genotypes to the agroclimatic conditions in the semiarid prairie.

The Scott Research Farm began to reevaluate fall seeding in 1993 after the introduction of herbicide tolerant canola cultivars. Numerous studies were conducted at Scott from 1996 to 1998 to evaluate the effect of fall and early spring seeding of herbicide tolerant canola.

In central and northern Alberta, yield reductions from root maggot infestations can reach 52% in crops of Brassica rapa (Polish canola) and 20% in Brassica napus (Argentine canola).

In western Canada, alternaria black spot is caused mainly by Alternaria brassicae and to a lesser extent by A. raphani. It is most damaging on spring sown Polish canola (Brassica rapa).

Researchers conducted a field study in 1995 near Star City, Saskatchewan in the Gray soil zone, which compared the effectiveness of different sulfur forms added as sources of fertilizer sulfur for canola.

The amount of UV-B radiation reaching the Earth’s surface is increasing yearly, and UV-B radiation, in sufficient doses, harms sensitive plants and reduces yields.

Nitrogen fertilizer is one of the most important external inputs for improving crop growth and yields. Researchers were interested in finding biological alternatives that could optimize and/or replace N-fertilizers, and in 1996 a three-year project was initiated at the University of Saskatchewan to isolate rhizobacteria able to fix atmospheric nitrogen for canola.