Canola Research

Representing Alberta’s canola producers, the Agronomic Research Committee allocates producer dollars to various agronomic research projects that meet ACPC’s mission of increasing the long term profitability of Alberta's canola growers.

In 2008-09, after 10 years experience partnering with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)  in canola agronomic research, the ACPC entered into another five year agreement with AAFC.  SaskCanola, the Manitoba Canola Growers and the Canola Council of Canada have now joined in the partnership.  The agreement includes all of the AAFC research stations in western Canada and all canola agronomic research underway by AAFC. 

The research will be directed by research committees of the three grower organizations, and coordinated by the Canola Council.  Currently there are more than 10 trials underway.  This work will go a long way to achieving the Commission’s agronomic research goals of finding better ways to grow canola, and finding solutions to control pests.

The Commission is able to leverage their research funds by partnering with the organizations listed above and the Alberta Crop Industry Development Fund.

Every $1 ACPC invests generates as much as $12 of research.

Canola growers in Alberta that do not request a refund of their check off from the Alberta Canola Producers Commission (ACPC) qualify for the Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax credit.

Current Research Projects

(from the 2010-11 Annual Report):

Disease Research

  • Charactierization of canola lines expressing antifungal scFV conferring tolerance against important phytopatogenic fungi (Dr. Kav – Uof A)
  • Rapid Farm level detection of blackleg pathotypes - proof of concept (Mr. Lange - AITF)
  • Development of a canola cultivar rotation, blackleg management stewardship program (Dr. Peng - AAFC)
  • Studies on the genetic and molecular basis for clubroot resistance in canola (Dr. Strelkov – U of A)
  • Effects of clubroot resistant canola lines on soils (Dr. Strelkov – U of A)
  • An integrated approach to clubroot in canola development of resistant germplasm and breeding strategy (Dr. Rahman – U of A)

Insect Research

  • Management of lygus bugs and seedpod weevil in canola (Dr. Carcamo - AAFC)
  • Evaluation of potential flea beetle species composition shift in prairie canola fields (Dr. Soroka - AAFC)
  • Evaluation of resistance to flea beetles in PR10 transgenic canola (Dr. Kav – U of A)
  • Advancing the hairy canola trait in brassica napus and brassica carinata (Dr. Gruber - AAFC)
  • Developing root maggot resistant canola (Dr. Dosdall – U of A)
  • Development of reduced-risk strategies through coordinated monitoring, forecasting and risk warning systems for insect pests (Dr. Olfert – U of S)

Agronomy Research

  • Advanced statistical of strip plot canola variety trial data (Dr. Brule-Balbel - U of M)
  • Advanced statistical of strip plot canola variety trial data and comparison to small plot variety trial data (Dr. Brule-Balbel - U of M)
  • Assessment of seed germination and seedling performance of spring canola at low temperatures (Dr. Capo-chichi - AITF)
  • Evaluation and Adaption of Controlled Traffic Farming in Alberta (Dr. Faechner - ARECA)
  • Genetic analysis and molecular mapping of the early flowering gene(s) introgressed from the late (Dr. Rahman – U of A)
  • ISTA method validation of a 24 hour vigour test (Dr. Buckley - AAFC)
  • Screening canola for flower blasting tolerance (Dr. Morrison - AAFC)
  • Quantifying the risks associated with late weed removal (Dr. Willenborg - U of S)
  • Long term effects of rotations on different soils (Dr. Gill - SARDA)
  • Optimizing variable rate nitrogen fertilizer (Dr. McKenzie - AARD)
  • Alberta weed survey (Dr. Neesor - ARD)
  • Field scale multiple site spatial variability of crop yield (Dr. Faechner - ARECA)
  • Developing canola lines with reduced pod shattering (Dr. Shah - AITF)
  • Evaluation of winter brassica rapa for cultivation in Alberta (Dr. Rahman – U of A)

Clubroot Research

The federal government of Canada committed $3.6 million of the Growing Forward fund to clubroot research in 2009. As a result the Clubroot Risk Mitigation Initiative was launched to bring researchers across the canola industry together to collaborate on the toughest clubroot issues. These projects are jointly administered by the Canola Council of Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

These projects are summarized on clubroot.ca

Canadian Agri-Science Clusters Initiative Canola/Flax Science Cluster 2009-2013

The Canola/Flax Science Cluster is part of the Canadian Agri-Science Clusters initiative of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC). The CCC is one of the industry-lead organizations mobilizing the scientific and technical resources needed to support innovation and competitiveness in its sector. The innovative strategies developed as part of this Cluster will drive the canola industry forward in meeting its “Growing Great 2015” objectives.

Under the leadership of CCC, research projects were proposed by the Canadian canola science community to the Canola/Flax Science Cluster. Selected projects are funded through the ~$20M fund - $14.5M from federal government (AAFC) and $5.7M from the canola industry (CCC).

The CCC’s core funding is a voluntary levy paid by Canadian canola processors and exporters: Richardson, A.C. Toepfer, Viterra, Louis Dreyfus and Cargill, the Alberta Canola Producers Commission, SaskCanola, Manitoba Canola Growers Association, BASF, Bayer CropSciences, Dow AgroSciences, DL Seeds, Monsanto Canada, Pioneer Hi-Bred and Syngenta Crop Protection.

The industry funding for the canola portion of the Science Cluster is derived from CCC’s core funds, as well as additional project funding provided by SaskCanola, Manitoba Canola Growers Association, Alberta Canola Producers Commission and Dow AgroSciences. The industry funding for the flax portion of the Science Cluster is derived from the Flax Council of Canada.

The projects are summarized on the Canola Council of Canada website: