Broadening genetic diversity in spring canola brassica napus: exploration of the C genome of B. oleracea

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Presence of adequate genetic diversity in a crop is essential - not only to allow for genetic improvement through plant breeding but also for reducing the vulnerability of the crop to insect pests and diseases as well as other changes in environmental conditions. The narrow genetic diversity in many crop species, including canola, is a major concern to researchers and plant breeders. The crop species canola originated in nature from crosses between a turnip type plant species and a cauliflower/cabbage type plant species. Although genetic diversity in current canola is narrow, wider diversity is present in its two progenitor species. The use of these two progenitor species for the improvement of canola has been limited. To date, some effort has been made to understand and utilize the diversity of the turnip type species for the improvement of canola; however, no effort has been made so far to explore the use of the cauliflower/cabbage type species for this purpose, despite the fact that this species has high genetic diversity. The proposed research program will explore the genetic diversity in different related-species of canola for the improvement of this crop. In the short-term, the proposed research will investigate the genetic diversity in different cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, etc. type plant species, for the improvement of Canadian canola in terms of improved agronomy and increased productivity. We will also study the early flowering gene of the cauliflower type plant species, which we have already transferred into canola for the improvement of earliness of flowering and maturity in Canadian canola. The research results from this project can be applied for the development of high yielding canola cultivars for the Canadian prairie; as well as for developing early maturing canola cultivars which will be better suited to the short growing-season areas in this country.