Grant: Strategic Projects - Group

The Canadian canola industry contributes at least one billion dollars annually to the ecomomy of our country, and the cabbage seedpod weevil is capable of causing up to $40,000,000 in annual losses.The goal of this proposal is to deliver a complete package of genetically controlled, environmentally sustainable cabbage seedpod weevil resistance to public and commercial canola breeders in Canada. Deliverables will include 1) weevil resistance sourced from a weedy relative in high quality canola germplasm, and 2) molecular markers associated with resistance for rapid introgression, based on intense field screening and insect behaviour directly correlated with identified chemoattractant and repellent plant bioprofiles.Availability of previously identified resistance in doubled haploids generated from a white mustard (Sinapis alba) x canola (Brassica napus) BC2 generation makes our research unique in that we already have a number of isogenic lines that express either strong resistance (R) or susceptibility (S) to the weevil (Ceutorhynchus obstrictus (Marsham) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). These R and S isolines provide a powerful starting point for us to generate molecular markers, and also enable us to clearly explore, compare and identify the responsible biochemical compounds that illicit specific insect feeding and oviposition behaviours. Understanding the compounds that attract/repel weevils at various stages of their life cycle (feeding, ovipositing etc.) will, firstly enable us to generate resistant canola germplasm based on S. alba resistance and secondly, to alter the biopathways to generate novel resistant canola genotypes through a single cycle of microspore mutagenesis and in vitro selection, using elite canola lines directly.