Why is this research important for Alberta ag?
Clubroot, caused by plasmodiophora brassicae, is a threat to Canadian canola production. Disease management relies mainly on the planting of clubroot resistant cultivars, but this resistance can be overcome by the emergence of novel pathotypes of P. brassicae. As such, the development of rapid, efficient methods for pathotype identification is important. Presently, pathotype identification relies on bioassays with host differential sets such as the Canadian Clubroot Differential, but this process can be labor-intensive and time-consuming.
Researchers developed two molecular diagnostic protocols to distinguish pathotype clusters based on polymorphisms found by whole genome sequencing of P. brassicae single-spore and field isolates. While these techniques are useful, their application for the pathotyping of numerous samples would require high levels of multiplexing.
This research would use DNA metabarcoding as a step forward for pathotyping multiple samples and polymorphic genomic regions at the same time. DNA barcoding is an efficient, accurate and reliable technique for pathogen monitoring, based on sequencing of polymorphic regions to distinguish samples.
What benefits can producers expect from this research?
This research will be important for guiding clubroot resistance breeding activities by allowing breeders to focus on the most relevant and/or emerging pathotypes, and allowing growers to make more informed cultivar selections based on the predominant pathotypes in their fields.
As clubroot continues to spread throughout Alberta and Canadian prairies, more rapid, efficient, and accurate diagnostic methodologies are needed for prevention and management of this disease.
How will these research findings reach producers on-farm?
Results will be shared with growers, agronomists, industry, government personnel and scientific colleagues
Funded in part by the Government of Canada under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative.