Canadian Seed Trade Association

Blackleg Risk Mitigation – Canada / China

Canola Performance Trials

Canola Innovation Strategy

Curtis Rempel MBA, PhD

Vice President, Crop Production & Innovation

Canola Council of Canada

Nov 9, 2016

Ottawa, ON

Mitigating Blackleg Risk

Good for Canada, Great for Trade…

Background

• Past ten years, the incidence of blackleg in canola has been

increasing in Western Canada.

• In addition to yield loss associated with higher levels of this

disease, there are trade implications as well.

• Canola trade in Canada has committed to reducing blackleg

incidence by encouraging canola growers to manage & their

disease risk.

• Improving scouting, selecting appropriate crop rotations, and

use of fungicides are common extension messages provided

to aid in this effort.

• But it has been recognized that some blackleg resistance

genes are no longer functional on the Prairies, and therefore

new resistance labels are needed to help growers identify

which resistance classes may be best for their fields.

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Canadian Canola Exports to ChinaSource: Statistics Canada - CIMTD

Seed

Oil

Meal

$1.05 billion

$464 million

$1.81 billion

$1.81 billion$1.59 billion

$3.18 billion$2.83 billion

$2.78 billion

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SK

MB

AB

Blackleg Incidence in Prairie Provinces

1974

First “canola”

Variety - Tower

1995

First R-rated

Canola - Quantum1975

Blackleg first

Detected

2010

Chinese trade

barrier2003

New races

In MB

Blackleg: China Trade Risk Mitigation

• Implementation of science-based risk mitigation measures.

– International Standards (International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures 14 - The use of integrated measures in a systems approach for pest risk management):

• Systems approaches provide the opportunity to consider measures along the (i) pre-production, (ii) production and (iii) post-production crop continuum (i.e. import - point of entry, post-entry)

– contribute to the effective management of pest risk.

• Pre-production: Grower education

• Production: Keep it Clean– Scouting and monitoring

– Crop rotation

– Blackleg resistance rotation

– Use of certified seed, seed treatment and fungicide application

– Weed control

– Suitable harvest measures

• Post-production: Seed/Dockage = Sanitary– Production practices: Flooding, burial of stubble, etc

Current Blackleg Extension Messaging

Blackleg Risk Mitigation – Blackleg Management for Producers

Activity Low risk Moderate risk High Risk

Scouting

Scout for disease,

beginning, middle, and

end of season

Scout for disease

only at end of

season

no scouting

Evidence of disease

(pseudothecia)none

present on canola

residue

Crop Rotation 4 years or more 3 years 2 years or less

Variety Blackleg label Resistant MR MS or Susceptible

Variety rotation new variety same variety

Canola volunteers no volunteers no volunteer control

Seed source certified treatedbin run cleaned and

treatedbin-run

Fungicide prophylactic spray none ------

Weed controlno brassica weed issues

in rotation

brassica weed

issues

brassica weeds with

blackleg infection

Perc

en

tage

(%)

Resistance Genes in Canola

Cultivars/Lines

Zhang et al., 2015

Variation of L. maculans Population

Zhang et al., 2015

Lesson 2: More specifically, the frequency

of AvrLm3 decreased from 2010 to 2015

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2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Fre

qu

ency

(%

)

AvrLm3 Disease incidence (%)

Dis

ease

in

cid

ence

(%

)

Fernando et al unpublished

Prairie Population of Blackleg

Liban et al – Plant Pathology – 1161-1170 (2016)

2012 Eyre Peninsula on Group D stubble

Group DGroup E

R Gene Relationships

• Lowering of AvrLm3 allele increased AvrLm7 frequency

• Rlm3-AvrLm3 interaction is masked when AvrLm4-7 is

present (Plissonneau et al. 2015)

• Lowering of AvrLm3 lowered AvrLm9 frequency (Fernando

et al. unpublished)

• AvrLm1 and AvrLm2 are rarely found in a single isolate (Liban et al. 2016)

• Rlm1 and LepR3 both interact with AvrLm1

= KEEP YOUR RESISTANCE GENES – Can be used in

other years (Major genes not “defeated”)

Adult plant resistance (APR) identification

Frequency of accessions belong to each resistance category

R 39.4%

MR 16.3%

MS 16.3%

S 27.9%

APR+R gene88%

APR only12%

R genes in germplasm showed APR

Zhang et al., 2016MR rating undervalued?

104 B napus accessions

Blackleg Resistance Gene Labeling

Blackleg Steering Group:

– composed of farmers, researchers, provincial extension,

and private industry, have developed a potential model

system to classify blackleg resistance genes.

Methodology for classifying resistance:

• Continue the WCC/RRC field testing to determine the

R/MR/MS/S categories

• Major gene groupings can be determined by the breeder at

their discretion. Employing genetic markers or phenotypic

testing at their own facilities or at the facilities of a third party

group will be the breeding group’s decision.

Timelines:

• Voluntary for any group to determine when they would like to

apply these resistance labels to their cultivars.

• Lower BL in field by 2020!

Proposed R Gene Identification Model:

1. The R/MR/MS/S labels determined from the current field testing protocol at the WCC/RRC

2. New labels for the major(seedling) resistance gene(s):

• Group A = Rlm1& LepR3

• Group B = Rlm2

• Group C = Rlm3

• Group D = Rlm4

• Group E = Rlm7

• Group F = Rlm8

• Group G = Rlm9

• Group H = Rlm11

• Group I = RlmS

• Group J = LepR1

• Group K = LepR2

• Group L = LepR4

• Group X = unknown

No groups M, R, or S – to prevent confusion

Cultivar Alpha – Blackleg resistance MR-C -

meaning it has tested at MR field level resistance

and possesses the Rlm3 gene

Cultivar Beta – Blackleg resistance R-AD – this

cultivar has R levels of field resistance and

possesses the Rlm1 and Rlm4/Rlm7 resistance

genes

Cultivar Gamma – Blackleg resistance R-CX –

this cultivar has R levels field resistance and

possesses the Rlm3 and an unidentified

resistance gene.

Determining Quantitative Resistance?

Next Steps…

• Discussion paper circulated shortly.

• This model will be discussed at the upcoming WCC/RRC

meetings this winter. We would like to achieve consensus on

a new resistance classification model.

• Once the wider industry has supported a new resistance

classification model, the Blackleg Steering Group will take the

lead on developing extension messaging and tools for it. The

wider industry then can too start talking about and promoting

it publicly.

CANOLA PERFORMANCE TRIALS

• Surveys – 2011 and 2015– Growers overwhelmingly value independent data for

post-registration variety performance.

• Small vs large-plot

– Dataset – provincial seed guides

• High circulation, high value

– AB Seed Guide Distribution: 100,000 (sent 2x per year, 50,000 distributed each time).

– SK Seed Guide: 53,000 guides/year (largely through the Western Producer, the remainder at tradeshows)

– MB Seed Guide: 16,000 copies printed each year

– 2016 – major change to program

– Growers committed to funding independent commercial variety evaluation

• 2016

– Growers switched from entry-fee model to self-

funding

• 2017 and forward

– Preference would be a partnership

• Industry provides varieties, contributes to

sites

• Additional sites paid for by entry fee and

grower contribution

• Small and large-plot

– Large plot program – varieties have to be entered into

small-plot program

Canola Performance Trials

2017

• Genotype x Environment x Management

• Pod shatter / harvest management protocol

• Sentinel sites for Leptosphaeria maculans race

distribution

• Yield monitors for field scale trials?

Seed Company Feedback/Questions:

• Are you willing to pay a fee to enter seed varieties into the

CPT Program? This fee will be used to seed quality sites

across Western Canada and manage the program.

• If you are unsure about participation, are there any changes

to the CPT program outline above that you would like to see

before agreeing to participate?

• If you are not willing to enter varieties for a fee, would you be

willing to provide seed to Provincial Grower Groups so

growers could run trials?

CPT Program

• Governance Committee– Directing the management of the trials, including:

• approval of varieties, protocol design, financial management

• overseeing data collection, analysis and reporting

CPTGC

Grower Group reps (4)

Provincial Oilseed

Specialists (3)CSTA reps (3)

CCC rep (1, non-voting)

CPT Program

• Contracted coordinator manages the research

trials

• Technical Committee

– Responsibilities include protocol development,

location selection, inspection guidelines, and variety

entry review (which includes several factors)

CPTTC

Provincial Oilseed Specialists (3)

CSTA reps (3)

Canola Innovation Strategy

Investment in Research and KTT

– Key recommendations

– Industry, government, university scientists working

together

1. Public / private partnerships

– Industry sets the research priorities

2. The CCC should ensure a balance of pure & applied

research

3. Knowledge & Tech Transfer – translation of research

into knowledge

4. Infrastructure investment

5. HQP – Human Resource investment

5. Research coordination – Canada and International

CCC Strategic PlanStrategic Plan drives the Innovation Strategy

Market demand driven – 26 million tonnes

• Canola production – predictable, sustainable supply

– “52 bu / acre by 2025”

– Increased yield, profitability, and sustainability

– Reduced production risk

• Canola oil– Differentiated value – health & food product functionality in “post-trans fat” world

• Canola meal– Top-tier animal nutrition; Meeting human demand for vegetable protein

• Bioproducts – Natural antioxidants, monosat-based industrials, etc.

• Processing – “Green” Processing & Formulation

Driving Factors:

• Big data / precision ag, on-farm research, climate change and gene editing

Innovation Opportunities

• BIOREFINING APPROACH: Co-Streams

– Meal (Hull & other fiber, lignans, pentosans, mucilage)

– Bleaching Clay (phytosterols, polyphenols / antioxidants)

– Deodorizer Distillate(s) – (tocopherols, gums, etc.)

• Many of these have some “evidence-based” value in health / wellness, bio-industrial space

• Cost-efficient, efficacy preserving extraction?

• Current Processing

• Modifications to processing – Benefits have to outweigh costs

• If processing changed –

– Which bioactive compounds enriched, lost, neutral

– What value?

• Can we also use genomics and production to further amplify or stabilize bioactive compounds of value?

Future Opportunities – Oil Nutrition

DIFFERENTIATED VALUE

• Weight management

• Blood glucose management

• Inflammation and immune health

o DHA –enriched canola oil significantly reduces

inflammatory markers.

o Canola oil has been shown to have a neutral to slightly

positive effect on reducing inflammation, but further

research is required.

• Canola Oil & Respiratory Health

o Globally – poor air quality – leads to respiratory tract

inflammation

o Role of dietary fat & tocopherols to mitigate / modulate?

o Epidemiological evidence “mixed”

Future Opportunities – Canola Meal

• UN-FAO / WHO – Planet will be deficient in protein for

human health – animal and vegetable

• Highly bioavailable plant proteins are of critical

importance and expected to grow in demand globally.

• Canola protein has a balanced amino acid profile and

excellent functionality, but several unique challenges.

NEXT STEP – Conduct economic analysis of the

opportunity & identify “Clear path to market”. Include

aquaculture opportunities and review species dietary

needs to find “best fit” for canola.

• Reduction of (insoluble) fibre

– Genomics

– Post-processing (grinding & air)

• NB – reduce methane emissions by

using fiber and bacteria together

• Methane emissions 300x more harmful

than CO2 – ‘cap & trade’ opportunity

• Understanding of fibre x protein

combinations for aquaculture

– different fish species have different dietary

needs / abilities

Innovation – Meal

Meal - BioIndustrial

• Biopolymers – fiber (hemp, flax) and plasticizers

– Also require specific protein backbone

– GF2 project

– High value market – biodegradable polymers

CANOLA STEMS

• Specialty Fiber – BioMedical; Industrial

• PAMI – bench and pilot extraction

Future Opportunities – Extraction &

Formulation

CANOLOL

• Optimizing value of processing co-streams

• Canolol is a powerful antioxidant which remains in the presscake following oil removal

• Potential to replace TBHQ as an additive for oil stability.

• Increase oil life

• Natural antioxidant for “green label”.

• Further research is needed on processing technology.

Anti-mutagenicity

Anti-cancerous effects

Protection against oxidative stress

Antioxidant activity

Incidence of gastric adenocarcinomawas reducedInhibition of interleukin-1b (IL-1b) expressionInhibition of tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a)(Cao et al., 2008)

Activity for canolol higher than sinapicacid in an emulsion system Similar to that of carotenes, higherthan allicin, and much higher thanmelatonin (Galano et al. 2011)

Canolol at concentrations of 5.6-

56 μM supressed oxidative stress

to a significant degree. (Kuwahara

et al., 2004) .

The DNA strand breakage

prevented by canolol

The protective effect of canolol against oxidative stress-induced cell death in ARPE-19 cells and its underlyingmechanism has been reported (Xin et al., 2011)

Studies pointed out the efficacy of canolol to enhancethe broiler performance under oxidative stress (Eid,2010)

REFERENCES:Cao et al., 2008. International Journal of Cancer, 122:1445–1454.Eid YZ. 2010. Egyptian Poultry Science, 30(IV):917-926.Galano et al., 2011. Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 115(26):8590-8596.Kuwahara et al., 2004. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 52:4380–4387.Xin et al., 2011. Molecular Vision, 17:2040-2048.

Antioxidants in canola oil: canolol