Sulfur (S) nutrition in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) is a major concern for this high S-demanding crop, especially in the context of soil S oligotrophy. Therefore, predicting plant growth, S plant allocation (between the plant's compartments) and S pool partitioning (repartition of the mobile-S vs. non-mobile-S fractions) until the onset of reproductive phase could help in the diagnosis of S de...

Pod shattering resistance index (SRI) is a key factor affecting the mechanical harvesting of rapeseed. Research on the differences in pod shattering resistance levels of various rapeseed varieties can provide a theoretical basis for varietal breeding and application in mechanical harvesting. The indicators on pod shattering resistance including pod morphology and wall components were evaluated ...

The impact of genetically modified canola (Brassica napus) on biodiversity has been examined since its initial stage of commercialization. Various research groups have extensively investigated crossability and introgression among species of Brassicaceae. B. rapa and B. juncea are ranked first and second as the recipients of cross-pollination and introgression from B. napus, respectively. Crossa...

Brassica napus was synthesized by hybridization between its diploid progenitor species B. rapa and B. oleracea followed by chromosome doubling. Cross with B. rapa as a female parent was only successful. Among three colchicine treatments (0.10, 0.15, and 0.20%), 0.15% gave the highest success (86%) of chromosome doubling in the hybrids (AC; 2n = 19). Synthetic B. napus (AACC, 2n = 38) was identi...

Determining the frequency of crop-wild transgene flow under field conditions is a necessity for the development of regulatory strategies to manage transgenic hybrids. Gene flow of green fluorescent protein (GFP) and Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) transgenes was quantified in three field experiments using eleven independent transformed Brassica napus L. lines and the wild relatives, B. rapa L. and ...

Arabidopsis thaliana (the model dicotyledonous plant) is closely related to Brassica crop species. Genome collinearity, or conservation of marker order, between Brassica napus (oilseed rape) and A. thaliana was assessed over a 7.5-Mbp region of the long arm of A. thaliana chromosome 4, equivalent to 30 cM. Estimates of copy number indicated that sequences present in a single copy in the haploid...

Glucosinolates are sulphur containing secondary metabolites biosynthesized by many plant species in the order Brassicales. Physical tissue or cell injury leads to the breakdown of glucosinolates through the hydrolytic action of the enzyme myrosinase, resulting in the production of compounds including isothiocynates, thiocyanates and nitriles. Derivative compounds of glucosinolates have a wide r...

The Brassica database (BRAD) was built initially to assist users apply Brassica rapa and Arabidopsis thaliana genomic data efficiently to their research. However, many Brassicaceae genomes have been sequenced and released after its construction. These genomes are rich resources for comparative genomics, gene annotation and functional evolutionary studies of Brassica crops. Therefore, we have up...

In Brassica , the thioredoxin h proteins, THL1 and THL2, were previously found to be potential inhibitors of the S receptor kinase (SRK) in the Brassica self-incompatibility response. To investigate the biological roles of THL1 and THL2 in pollen-pistil interactions, the stigma-specific SLR1 promoter was used to drive antisense THL1/2 expression in Brassica napus cv. Westar. This cultivar is no...

The Swede midge, Contarinia nasturtii Kieffer (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), a common insect pest in Europe, is a newly invasive pest in North America that constitutes a major threat to cruciferous vegetable and field crops. Since its first identification in Ontario, Canada, in 2000, it has rapidly spread to 65 counties in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec and has recently been found in canola (on...