Sustainability on the farm: breeding for resistance and management of major canola diseases in Canada contributing towards an IPM approach

Abstract

Genetic diversity is vital for the survival of any population. If humans were all the same, a single strain of a nasty flu virus, like COVID-19, could wipe us all out! In plants, genetic diversity plays a similar role. The variation in the type and number of resistance gene(s) between individuals can cause the difference between surviving a disease or not. Studies on genetic diversity will lead to the identification of novel disease-resistance genes. Canola (Brassica napus L.) is an economically and nutritionally important oilseed worldwide. Several serious diseases, including blackleg, clubroot, sclerotinia stem rot, and verticillium stripe, threaten canola production in Canada and worldwide. Traditional methods are not enough for effective control of these diseases. Therefore, the ideal approach is to optimize and utilize the resistance genes found in different B. napus cultivars. With the advent of next-generation sequencing and the development of genomics and molecular genetics techniques, it is now possible to rapidly identify and apply resistance genes. This paper reviews current information about disease-resistance genes identified in B. napus cultivars, mapping and cloning, their importance, role and function, and their association with plant disease resistance and application in resistance breeding. The feasibility of using current resistance sources in Canadian cultivars for developing new disease-resistant cultivars is also discussed. Sustainability of a farm and an agricultural system could be maintained by breeding for disease resistance, including the resistant varieties and incorporating other integrated pest management strategies along with it.

Plasmodiophora brassicae in Mexico, from anecdote to fact

“…Clubroot management has proven to be very challenging, and it has relied mainly in stopping the introduction of the pathogen into clean fields (Botero et al 2019;Dolatabadian et al 2021). However, how to avoid the spreading of a pathogen you don't know you have in your country or even geographic area?…”

Understanding R Gene Evolution in Brassica

“…The biology behind this mixture of resistance types is that there would be higher genetic variation in the host population, thus disrupting the selection pressure on L. maculans and decreasing the evolution frequency of virulent pathotypes [117,129]. Some other ways to control the pathogen population include agricultural practices such as applying fungicide, crop isolation and treating the infected cultivar residue by burning, tillage or burial [130].…”

Unveiling the Molecular Basis of Stem-Physical-Strength-Mediated-Resistance (SPSMR) Mechanism Against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in Brassicaceae: A Comparative Transcriptome Analysis of Resistant and Susceptible Genotypes

“…In the Indian subcontinent, Brassica oilseeds report yield losses ranging from 32-90% (Singh et al, 2022a). Canada, where oilseed rape is a primary crop, witnesses yield reductions of up to 50% in the Prairie Provinces (Dolatabadian et al, 2022). The European Union faces similar challenges, with varying yield losses reported in different regions such as 10-100% in the Czech Republic (Becka et al, 2016) and 50-60% in Norway (Ficke et al, 2018).…”