b'apomixis into canola would allowable to achieve seed production under breeders to fixate resistance againstmore challenging environmental one disease while also enabling theconditions.incorporation of a second disease resistance trait. Were Asking a Lot from BreedersMau explains another apomixisPeter Entz, assistant vice-president benefit.in the seed and traits division at While the majority of the canolaRichardson, notes that at this point research is focused on herbicidein time, we are asking a lot from resistance and oil and meal quality,canola breeders. very little research has been done onWe want plants at a certain improved hybrid vigour stability, heheight, to stand up, have an excellent says. Seed costs remain one-third ofdisease resistance package, be able the front-end costs for farmers.to be straight cut and, of course, [all With apomixis, no maintainerPeter Entz, assistant vice-president in the seedof this is] to support high yields, he breeding lines are necessary, so theand traits division at Richardson, says thenotes. And breeders are up for the cost of seed production is lowered.industry is asking a lot from canola breeders.challenge.This should allow small farmers orAnd while Entz points out that organizations like the Saskatchewanfarmers must not rely on breeders Pulse Growers and the Canadianto solve all the challenges of canola Canola Growers to produce theirproduction (farmers must have stew-own seed. ardship practices in place so as not If that werent enough, apomixisto abuse traits), new crop technol-will create a larger pool of germ- ogy obviously gives famers improved plasm, for example, from landraces ortools for crop production. wild accessions, which could easilyThe introduction of new traits in be integrated into breeding schemescanola, or other crops for that matter, of apomictic hybrid elite canola lines.is all about putting more tools in the This would allow breeders to restorefarmers toolbox, he says. genetic diversity.And the value of having more In my humble opinion, apomixistools is that you are in a better posi-technology will have its greatesttion to manage your crop and your impact on breeders and farmers ascropping system. New traits such as it will minimize canola breeding byMartin Mau says two main crop sciencepod shatter have the ability to change significantly shortening costs andresearch avenues have been his focus duringthe way farmers farm. production time, Mau says. I dontthe last few years, one being so-called GeneHe notes that during the fall of see overall changes in technicalBank 2.0 projects around the world. 2018, he observed so many acres aspects for the seed producers in theof canola still standing where a few Western world but great changes forcreated from male plants that pol- years ago, that would not have been seed production in the developinglinate normally and male-sterilethe case, which would have been world. But all that will depend onfemale plants that can only receivevery stressful last year for farmers.how the apomixis technology willpollen. Hybrid canola seeds, similarAn example is TruFlex from be implemented as a business andto hybrid corn seeds, can be grownBayer, which allows farmers a wider licensing model in the future.only for a single season because theirwindow of application and to use seeds cant be relied on to produceslightly higher rates of Roundup to Protein Game-Changer true copies of the parent plant.achieve better weed control. Marcus Samuel, along with SabineNow, with the identification of thisIt takes so long to get all the Scandola (she performed all theprotein, Samuel and Scandola believeapprovals in place, it was a relief to experiments in the study for her PhDthe way could be paved to developfinally be able to bring this technol-under Samuels supervision, and isnew methods for creating canolaogy to market, says Entz. now a post-doctoral fellow at thehybrids.Since Canada approved TruFlex University of Alberta) have identifiedIn addition, canola lines within 2012, it took until January 2019 for a key protein in canola thats involvedexcess amounts of this protein willChinas Ministry of Agriculture and in the pollination process. Thehave an expedited ability to allowRural Affairs to grant a safety cer-discovery and understanding of thispollen (which has landed on thetificate approval for the import and protein could make it possible to morestigma) to grow down, fertilize thefood/feed use of it, so it now has the quickly and effectively create moreovule and produce seed.green light for commercial launch vigorous, high-yielding varieties. These plants that more easilyworldwide.Canola farmers plant hybridsaccept pollen, says Samuel, should be 40GERMINATION.CA NOVEMBER 2019'