Getting a leg up on blackleg

Aug 30, 2022

New genomic research from Agriculture and Agri-food Canada (AAFC) could give agronomists a leg up in the fight against blackleg in canola.

Blackleg (Leptosphaeria maculans) is a severe fungal disease of canola plants, and with canola generating about one-quarter of all farm crop receipts in Canada, it is a serious threat to producers.

The new research was led by AAFC’s Dr. Fengqun Yu and her team of scientists at AAFC’s research and development centre in Saskatoon. The team recently completed the first large-scale resequencing of the blackleg pathogen.

Blackleg was first discovered in northeast Saskatchewan in 1975. The first sequencing was done by French and Australian scientists more than a decade ago. But while those efforts created a useful reference genome, they focused only on islolates collected in France.

“Our work focuses on sequencing Canadian isolates,” says Yu. “We collected isolates from Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta over about two decades. We really wanted to look at the whole picture; at the genetic variation in the isolates across the Prairies.”

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The Crop Science Podcast Show, Dr. Emerson Nafziger from the University of Illinois breaks down decades of nitrogen research. From the evolution of N rate guidelines to how soil health and hybrid genetics influence nitrogen use efficiency, this conversation unpacks the science behind smarter fertilization. Improving how we set nitrogen fertilizer rates for rainfed corn is a key focus. Discover why the MRTN model matters more than ever, and how shifting mindsets and better data can boost yields and environmental outcomes. Tune in now on all major platforms!

"The nitrogen that comes from soil mineralization is the first nitrogen the plant sees, and its role is underestimated."

Meet the guest:

Dr. Emerson Nafziger is Professor Emeritus of Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, with degrees in agronomy from Ohio State, Purdue, and Illinois. His research has focused on nitrogen rate strategies and crop productivity. He co-developed the Maximum Return to Nitrogen (MRTN) model, which is widely used across the Midwest. His research spans N response trials, hybrid interactions, crop rotation effects, and yield stability.