Monitoring the race dynamics of Leptosphaeria maculans for effective deployment and rotation of resistance genes for sustainable management of blackleg of canola in western Canada

Project Summary

Purpose

This study is part of the continued efforts to provide industry and producers with up-to-date pictures of L. maculans race profile, which can be used to guide the deployment or rotation of canola cultivars carrying different R genes. It can also gain important insights into pathogen race changes in response to resistant cultivars used over the years, allowing industry to be proactive before the erosion of specific resistance R genes. 

Progress

Monitoring has continued since 2010. Isolates from 2018 have been analyzed, and samples from 2019 and 2020 are being tested and collected. COVID-19 affected progress, but researchers hope to complete 2019 samples by end of this fiscal year. Annual information on the avirulence-gene profile in L. maculans population allows breeders to pick effective R genes for blackleg resistance breeding, and helps agronomists and growers to select cultivars that carry effective R genes on a regional basis.