Canola yield and quality are important for food, feed, and industrial end-uses. There may be trade-offs between the agronomic and quality aspects of canola production depending on varietal traits and management. The objective of this work was to assess the effects of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and sulfur (S) fertilization on agronomic and quality properties of canola varieties with distinct oleic acid contents. Nitrogen fertilization rates were 0, 25, 50, or 100 kg·ha⁻¹, P rates were 0 or 30 kg·ha⁻¹, and S rates were 0 or 20 kg·ha⁻¹. Canola was grown in 2003, 2004, and 2005 at Brandon, a private farm close to Brandon, and at Lacombe, Canada. Canola yields averaged 2.36 t·ha⁻¹ for conventional, 2.53 t·ha⁻¹ for low, and 2.2 t·ha⁻¹ for the high oleic acid varieties at maximum fertilization of N, P, and S. The high oleic acid variety averaged 75% oleic acid content, whereas the low variety averaged 65%, and the conventional variety 62%. Total saturated fatty acids were greatest with the conventional oleic acid variety, and tended to increase with N, decrease with S, and were not influenced by P. The high oleic acid variety yielded slightly less than the other two varieties but tended to have lower glucosinolate and saturated fatty acid contents. This work could have implications for human nutrition or other end-uses. Current canola varieties and fertility management should be studied to produce canola with quality tailored for the end use.

To maintain the high yields and fruit quality necessary for profitability of sweet cherry production, it is important to consider precision crop load and canopy management techniques during limb renewal. The effects of branch section age, rootstock, and cultivar on spur and flower density and fruit quality have been discussed in previous studies, but most of them focus on a limited range of fruiting wood ages and scion-rootstock combinations. This study aims to analyse the processes of sweet cherry productivity and fruit size formation on a wide range of wood age to determine the limit after which branch preservation is not sustainable, and to evaluate the influence of rootstocks and cultivars on these parameters. The results indicate that wood age is one of the main drivers of productivity formation in cherry. The highest flower density was observed on 3-year-old branch sections – 324 flowers per linear m, due to high spur density, number of reproductive buds per spur and flowers per bud. Productivity on 2-year-old wood was also good (256 flowers per linear m), while a sharp decline in flower density was noted on 4- and 5-year-old wood. The largest fruits were formed on young branch sections, with a significant decline in fruit weight and diameter on 4- and 5-year-old sections. Rootstock vigour had a bigger effect on floral organ induction on 1-year-old shoots, than on spurs. Based on the results, it is advisable to regularly renew lateral branches older than 3 years to maintain high yield efficiency and fruit quality.

Sternbergia clusiana (SC) is a bulbous plant having an alluring ornamental flower, medicinal properties, and an endangered status due to climate-change ecology. However, the methods of propagation for conserving this notable species have been neglected. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of plant growth regulators (PGRs) on SC regeneration by virtue of a asexual propagation method, with the intention of preserving this endangered species from extinction. In this regard, having collected the bulbs from a wild habitat, bulbs were cut in accordance with the chipping technique. Thereafter, pieces were treated with 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) at 250, 500, and 1000 mg·L⁻¹, 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) at 100, 250, and 500 mg·L⁻¹, putrescine (PU) at 50, 100, and 200 mg·L⁻¹, BAP and NAA combination, BAP and PU combination, and a control. Pieces were then transferred into primary and terminal growing media under laboratory and greenhouse conditions, respectively. Next, the number, length, width, and weight of bulbs were determined. The greatest bulb number (2.10 counts), bulb length (26.75 mm), bulb width (16.25 mm), and bulb weight (3.13 g) were observed in the PU treatments. In addition, the results showed that even though the treated bulbs with BAP and PU combinations had preferable performance generally, the results were inconsistent. Taken together, this research indicates that utilizing asexual propagation along with PGRs, in the proper dosage, can serve as a mechanism to protect the endangered geophyte from extinction in nature.

Endophytes are microorganisms residing inside plants and are mostly transmitted by seeds. In this study, we used internal transcribed spacer metagenomic sequencing analysis to investigate the fungal endophyte profile of seeds harvested from three different soybean genotypes (OT 13-08, AC Proteus, and AC Harmony) grown in Manitoba, Canada. Protein and oil contents of these genotypes were different from each other. Out of the three soybean genotypes tested, AC Harmony showed the highest level (71.85%) of predicted fungal endophyte taxonomic units classified up to the genus level. At the species level analysis, 20 predicted microorganisms were common in all genotypes. In addition, AC Harmony included the most diverse potential number (90) of endophyte species. The potential roles of the identified endophytes were further studied and the differential roles were observed based on previous evidence. This study will give insight into fungal endophytes in Canadian soybean genotypes for potential applications in agriculture.

The interest in growing pulse crops and oilseeds together as intercrop combinations is increasing. However, little is known about nutrient dynamics in pulse–oilseed intercropping systems in western Canada, particularly the contributions from biological nitrogen fixation (BNF). Kabuli chickpea and brown flax were grown without added fertilizer as monocrops and as intercrops in mixed and alternate seed row configurations at sites located in the Brown (Central Butte, SK) and Black (Redvers, SK) soil zones in 2019 and 2020. Comparison was made of grain and straw yields, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) uptake of grain and straw, and proportion and amount of biologically fixed N contributed from the chickpea and transferred to the flax. The intercrop grain yield land equivalent ratio (LER) and N and P uptake LER values were at or above 1 for the four site-years, indicating benefit from intercropping in increasing total yield and crop N and P uptake from the land area. The proportion of N derived from BNF was not enhanced in this intercrop combination, but considerable biologically fixed N (8%–22%) was transferred from the chickpea to the flax during the growing season. This was associated with reduced depletion of soil N compared to monocrop flax in part due to the contribution of biologically fixed N in the chickpea–flax intercrop system.

The overall objective of this study was to evaluate the index of absorbance difference (I_AD) of four major apple cultivars in Ontario (‘Honeycrisp’, ‘Ambrosia’, ‘Gala’, and ‘McIntosh’) during the harvest window over multiple seasons (≥4 years), as well as its relationship with fruit firmness, internal ethylene concentration, and starch index values. I_AD values differed among the four cultivars, with ‘McIntosh’ having the highest I_AD (1.03–1.33) overall and ‘Gala’ having the lowest (0.19–0.56). Principal component analysis showed that the cultivars were separated into distinct groups. ‘Honeycrisp’ was clustered with starch and ethylene, while ‘Gala’ and ‘McIntosh’ were mainly clustered with firmness and I_AD, respectively. Variable correlations between I_AD and other maturity indices were found over the years. The negative relationship between I_AD and ethylene for ‘Gala’ showed variability with R² ranging from 0.008 in 2012 to 0.47 in 2018. The correlation between I_AD and starch for ‘Gala’ was very strong (r_s = −0.82****) in 2018, whereas it was not significant in any year for ‘McIntosh’. Overall, I_AD may relate to harvest maturity, but it did not correlate closely or consistently with other maturity indices, varied greatly year to year, and was cultivar dependent. I_AD measures are not consistently related to fruit maturity every year, making reliability difficult to attain.

Palmer amaranth germination and emergence occur throughout the growing season; however, little is known about the impact of late-emerging Palmer amaranth on sorghum, a major crop in Kansas. Field trials were conducted in 2016 and 2017 to measure grain sorghum and late-emerging Palmer amaranth’s response to sorghum planting density and nitrogen rate. Trials were comprised of weed-free and weedy sorghum as main plots, three sorghum planting densities as sub-plots, and three nitrogen rates as sub-sub-plot treatments laid in a randomized complete block design with a split–split-plot arrangement. Weedy sorghum was infested with late-emerging Palmer amaranth only. Weed-free sorghum outyielded its weedy counterpart by 42.2%. At the high sorghum planting density (296 400 plants ha⁻¹), applying 112 kg N ha⁻¹ did not improve grain yield or decrease Palmer amaranth’s number, height, and biomass, but increased sorghum head number and height. Altogether, our findings suggest that increasing sorghum planting density and nitrogen rate in an irrigated environment did not facilitate Palmer amaranth control. Strategies for long-season Palmer amaranth control are needed to protect sorghum yield from weed competition.

Adoption of conservation farming practices such as zero tillage when planting field research plots is essential to the replication of on-farm practices. The problem is that most drill options fail to meet expectations as they are not built to the scale required, compromise the need for uniformity of plant emergence within plot areas, lack portability, or have been designed and equipped in a manner that is not relevant to farm-scale seeder technologies and practices. Agronomists and Technicians at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada engaged with engineering expertise to design and build two prototype drills that are now in full operation.

UA CountyGold is an imidazoline herbicide-resistant open-pollinated nontransgenic spring Brassica napus L. canola cultivar developed from UA BountyGold × UA AlfaGold cross following pedigree breeding method and registered in Canada in 2021. The pedigree of UA CountyGold contains winter canola germplasm. On average, UA CountyGold yielded 3152 kg ha⁻¹. It flowered and matured 4.5–6.5 days later; however, it had better straw stiffness than the Western Canada Canola/Rapeseed Recommending Committee (WCC/RRC) check cultivars. This cultivar had about 0.9% higher oil in seed and 1.5% higher protein in meal, and 0.7% lower saturated fatty acids in the seed oil than the WCC/RRC checks, and rated as moderately resistant to blackleg disease.

CO481 is an early maturing (57–58 days to flowering, 1283–1310 crop heat units (CHUs)) yellow, semi-dent inbred line. CO481 has mixed heterotic group and combines well with stiff stalk testers to produce hybrids with high grain yield. Additional key features include fast kernel drydown rate and moderate to high resistance to gibberella ear rot. CO481 is most suitable for short-season regions of North America with CHUs ranging from 2500 to 2750. These include the corn-growing regions of Canada in Prince Edward Island, eastern parts of Ontario, and southern parts of Quebec, Manitoba, and Alberta.