Rasmussen, J., Gilroyed, B. H., Reuter, T., Badea, A., Eudes, F., Graf, R., Laroche, A., Kav, N. N. V. and McAllister, T. A. 2014. Efficiency of protein as a nitrogen source for wheat and morphological changes in roots exposed to high protein concentrations. Can. J. Plant Sci. 94: 603-613. Proteins of animal origin can enter the environment through application of agricultural by-products to arable or pastured land. In this study, wheat (Triticum aestivum cv. AC Andrew) was exposed to treatments with nitrogen (N) supplied as animal protein (bovine serum albumin; BSA), inorganic N or a combination of these sources at different iso-nitrogenous concentrations. Plant growth was assessed by monitoring both wet and dry mass of shoots and data showed that protein treatments did not differ (P>0.05) from controls lacking N. Analysis of N also showed that plants supplied with protein N displayed lower N (1.2-2.4%) concentration as compared with those supplied with inorganic N (up to 12.4%) with N remaining <2.4% even when the supply of protein was increased. Root morphology was altered in plants exposed to protein N concentrations >71 mM, with the development of knob-like outgrowths with unknown function or significance. This study provides evidence that wheat plantlets grown under sterile conditions are unable to utilize BSA as efficiently as NH₄NO₃ as a N source, but their roots exhibit a morphological response to protein.

Rahman, M. 2014. Independent assortment of seed color and hairy leaf genes in Brassica rapa L. Can. J. Plant Sci. 94: 615-620. A genetic study of seed color and hairy leaf in Brassica rapa was conducted in progeny originating from the brown-seeded, hairy leaf B. rapa subsp. chinensis line and the Bangladeshi B. rapa var. trilocularis line. A joint segregation of both traits was also examined in the F₂ and backcross populations. Seed color segregated into brown, yellow-brown, and yellow, which suggests that digenic control of brown or yellow-brown color was dominant over yellow seed color. Hairy leaves were found to be under monogenic control, and hairy leaf was dominant over non-hairy leaf. The data show that genes controlling seed color and hairy leaf are inherited independently.

Sanderson, M. A., Stout, R., Goslee, S., Gonet, J. and Smith, R. G. 2014. Soil seed bank community structure of pastures and hayfields on an organic farm. Can. J. Plant Sci. 94: 621-631. Understanding the composition of seed banks in pasture soils would help farmers anticipate and manage for weed problems. We characterized the soil seed bank in eight pastures and hayfields [two alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and two predominantly grass hayfields; two recently established and two permanent pastures] within an organic dairy farm in southeastern New Hampshire. Seed banks were sampled in the upper 5 cm of soil in each field at a point scale in 2007 and 2010. In 2010, the seed bank was characterized at the field scale by taking soil samples on six 52-m transects in each field. Seed banks sampled at the field scale in 2010 contained 66 plant species. The total number of seeds in the seed bank ranged from 1560 m^-2 in grass hayfields in autumn to more than 20 000 m^-2 in alfalfa hayfields in summer. Annual forbs dominated the seed bank of alfalfa fields and recently established pastures, whereas perennial graminoids dominated in one grass hayfield and the permanent pastures. These results suggest that management history affects soil seed bank composition and abundance, and these effects should be considered before implementing management practices that could stimulate recruitment from the seed bank.

Xing, W., Zhao, H. and Zou, D. 2014. Detection of main-effect and epistatic QTL for yield-related traits in rice under drought stress and normal conditions. Can. J. Plant Sci. 94: 633-641. Drought-resistant cultivars play an important role in maintaining high and stable crop yields under drought-stress conditions. However, the genetic mechanism of drought resistance must first be elucidated. Therefore, 220 recombinant inbred lines from a cross between Xiaobaijingzi (upland rice) and Kongyu 131 (Oryza sativa L.) were used to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for yield and yield-component traits under drought stress and control conditions in Heilongjiang and Tieli. As a result, 23 main-effect QTLs and 11 digenic interactions were detected for four traits under the above two conditions. Of the main-effect QTLs, 10 and 8 were detected under control and drought-stress conditions, respectively; and five common QTLs were observed. In addition, five QTLs were found to be responsible for the difference across the two conditions. Among all epistatic QTLs, three types of epistatic QTLs were observed: one was between two main-effect QTLs, such as qPH-3-1 and qPH-7-2; one was between one locus with and another without main-effect, e.g., qPN-4 and qPN-3-2; and one was between two loci without main-effect, e.g., qYP-6-1 and qYP-12-2. In the above epistatic examples, their recombinant genotypes tended to reduce plant height and the number of grains per panicle and increase yield, respectively. Our results provide a good foundation for designed molecular breeding of drought-resistant rice.

MacDonald, W. N., Tsujita, M. J., Blom, T. J. and Shelp, B. J. 2014. Impact of various combinations of nitrate and chloride on nitrogen remobilization in potted chrysanthemum grown in a subirrigation system. Can. J. Plant Sci. 94: 643-657. Subirrigation is gaining popularity as an environmentally friendly strategy for managing the nutrition of potted chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat.), as well as many other popular potted ornamental crops grown in the greenhouse. Subirrigation systems recycle the nutrient solution, but unlike the common practice of overhead irrigation, salts are more likely to accumulate in the top of the growing medium. Thus, further research is required to optimize the technology for the timing and application rates of soluble nitrogen in order to benefit from the high mobility of this nutrient within plants. This study tested the hypothesis that N use efficiency of subirrigated potted chrysanthemum can be improved by managing the nitrate status of the plant. Replacement of the nitrate supply with water 1 wk prior to inflorescence emergence (the midpoint of the experimental 10-wk crop cycle) was more effective in reducing the nitrate contents of above-ground tissues, particularly the stems and petioles, than the use of nitrate or various combinations of nitrate and chloride, thereby resulting in an improved N usage index (i.e., shoot dry mass×(shoot dry mass/shoot N content)). Shoot or inflorescence dry mass and N content were unaffected at the conclusion of the crop cycle by this treatment, whereas the electrical conductivity of the pot medium was reduced. Thus, elimination of nitrate prior to inflorescence emergence can be an effective strategy for improving N use efficiency in subirrigated potted chrysanthemums without sacrificing quality.

De la Haba, P., De la Mata, L., Molina, E. and Agüera, E. 2014. High temperature promotes early senescence in primary leaves of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) plants. Can. J. Plant Sci. 94: 659-669. High temperature affects numerous biochemical and physiological traits in plants. Primary leaves of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) were collected from plants grown under a control temperature (day/night regime of 23/19°C) or a high temperature (day/night regime of 33/29°C) for 16, 22, 28, 32 or 42 d. Leaves of sunflower plants exposed to high temperature exhibited decreased growth, as reflected by lower specific leaf mass and reduced leaf area as compared with controls. A superior decrease in soluble protein content during leaf life span in plants grown at high temperature relative to control plants (70% vs. 45%, respectively) suggests that high temperature promotes soluble protein degradation in leaves. High temperature also reduces net photosynthetic rate (P_N) possibly by decreasing the content in photosynthetic pigments and the stomatal conductance (g_s). The activity of nitrate reductase and glutamine synthetase decreased while deaminating activity in glutamate dehydrogenase increased in leaves exposed to high temperature. Our results suggest that high temperature induced early senescence in sunflower leaves, probably as a result of an accumulation of soluble sugars and the associated decrease in starch levels. Oxidative damage resulting from increased H₂O₂ accumulation and a decline in antioxidant activity may have also contributed to accelerated senescence of primary leaves at high temperature.

Zhou, Q. X., Hwang, S. F., Fu, H. T., Strelkov, S. E. and Gossen, B. D. 2014. Genetic variation of Rhizoctonia solani isolates from canola in Alberta, Canada. Can. J. Plant Sci. 94: 671-681. Seedling blight and root rot caused by Rhizoctonia solani often results in severe reductions in plant stands of canola (Brassica napus), a major oilseed crop in Canada. A total of 98 R. solani isolates were collected from central Alberta in 2009-2011 and analyzed for aggressiveness, anastomosis grouping and genetic variation. Seventy-six isolates (78%) were identified as AG2-1, three (3%) were AG2-2, one (1%) was AG4, one (1%) was AG8, and the anastomosis group of 17 isolates (17%) could not be determined. Isolates of AG2-1 were more aggressive on canola than the other isolates. The genetic variation among the 98 isolates was evaluated by sequence analysis of the ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacers (ITS) and inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers. The isolates clustered into four groups based on a neighbor-joining tree of the ITS sequences using PAUP software, and four groups based on ISSR markers using the POPGENE program. The isolate composition of Group A in both clustering approaches was similar, and those isolates were weakly aggressive on canola seedlings. Although the identities of both groups differed, Groups B and C in both analyses included most of the AG2-1 isolates, which were highly aggressive on canola seedlings. Isolates with undetermined anastomosis grouping and isolates classified as AG4, AG8 or AG2-2 were also included in Groups B and C, but were generally less aggressive than the AG2-1 isolates. Group D consisted of only three isolates in both analyses, but their identities also differed. The results indicated that there was no association between Groups from the two molecular approaches.

Balasubramanian, P. M., Conner, R. L., McLaren, D. L., Chatterton, S. and Hou, A. 2014. Partial resistance to white mould in dry bean. Can. J. Plant Sci. 94: 683-691. White mould, caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary, is a constraint on dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) production across Canada. Under high disease pressure, dry bean cultivars succumb to the disease resulting in a severe loss of seed yield and quality. Disease development is highly influenced by environmental conditions. In the absence of complete resistance to white mould, dry bean cultivars with both field resistance (avoidance) and physiological resistance would be preferred by growers in order to reduce disease risk and production costs. The objective of this study was to characterize select dry bean genotypes for field resistance to white mould in inoculated disease nurseries, and physiological resistance in a controlled environment. White mould ratings ranged from moderately susceptible to susceptible. Dry bean cultivars lacked both field resistance and physiological resistance. Germplasm lines I9365-25, G122, A 195 and I9635-31 had low disease severity ratings (5.1 to 5.6 at 26 d after inoculation using a 1 to 9 visual disease rating scale) in controlled environment indicating physiological resistance. L 192, MO162, 92BG-7 and OAC Rico also had acceptable levels of physiological resistance (severity ratings of 5.8 to 6.2 at 26 d after inoculation). G122, A 195, L 192 and MO 162 had low white mould disease incidences (16 to 25%) in the field over 4 yr indicating field resistance to white mould. These genotypes may be used as parents in the development of dry bean cultivars with enhanced resistance to white mould.

Chang, K. F., Conner, R. L., Hwang, S. F., Ahmed, H. U., McLaren, D. L., Gossen, B. D. and Turnbull, G. D. 2014. Effects of seed treatments and inoculum density ofFusarium avenaceumandRhizoctonia solanion seedling blight and root rot of faba bean. Can. J. Plant Sci. 94: 693-700. Production of faba bean cultivars with tannin-free seed on the Canadian prairies has potential for use in human food and as a feedstock for livestock and aquaculture. However, root rot is a major constraint to production. The effects of fungicide seed treatments on root rot caused by Fusarium avenaceum and Rhizoctonia solani, and the effect of inoculum density on seedling emergence, nodulation, root rot severity and yield of faba bean were examined across 12 station years from 2009 to 2011 at sites in Manitoba and Alberta. Fusarium avenaceum reduced seedling emergence more than R.solani, but both pathogens had a similar impact on seed yield. The effects of inoculum density and seed treatment were generally significant for seedling emergence, root rot severity and seed yield for both pathogens. The interaction effects of inoculum density×seed treatment for F.avenaceum and R.solani were only significant for seed yield and seedling emergence. Seedling emergence and seed yield declined with increasing inoculum level for both F. avenaceum and R.solani. Fungicidal seed treatments with Apron Maxx (fludioxonil metalaxyl) and Vitaflo 280 (carbathiin thiram) consistently improved emergence and seed yield in trials inoculated with F.avenaceum or R.solani. This study demonstrated that seed treatment to manage root rot of faba bean is warranted.

May, W. E., Johnson, E. N., Sapsford, K. L., Stevenson, F. C., Lafond, G. P., Holzapfel, C. B. and Holm, F. A. 2014. Tolerance of annual canarygrass (Phalaris canariensis L.) to combinations of MCPA, clopyralid, fluroxypyr and florasulam. Can. J. Plant Sci. 94: 701-708. Annual canarygrass (Phalaris canariensis L.) is a cereal crop that is primarily grown on the Canadian prairies as feed for caged birds. To widen the spectrum of herbicide options for producers, two experiments were conducted with the following nine herbicide treatments (application rates in parentheses expressed as g a.i. ha^-1): weed-free control; single and double applications of MCPA (560) clopyralid (100) (Curtail M); MCPA (562) fluroxypyr (108) (Trophy); and MCPA (560) clopyralid (100) fluroxypyr (144) (Prestige); florasulam (5) MCPA (420) (Frontline); difenzoquat (700) MCPA (560) clopyralid (100) (Avenge Curtail M); and a single application of difenzoquat (700). Experiment 2 included the same herbicide treatments in factorial combinations with two application times; crop growth stages of two to three leaf (2-3 lf) and four to five leaf (4-5 lf). Experiments were conducted at Indian Head, Scott, and Saskatoon, SK, in 2001 to 2003. In exp. 1, difenzoquat caused up to 30% crop injury when combined with MCPA clopyralid at the 2× rate, but improved crop yield relative to other herbicides because it reduced yield interference from wild oat infestations at Indian Head in 2002. In exp. 2, the 2× rate of florasulam MCPA resulted in the greatest visual injury, with higher levels recorded at the 2-3 lf; however, seed yield reduction was greater when applied at the 4-5 lf. In summary, annual canarygrass was tolerant to combinations of MCPA, clopyralid, and fluroxypyr, herbicides which control important weed species in prairie fields.

Darbyshire, S. J., Francis, A., Mulligan, G. A. and Graham, G. 2014. The Biology of Canadian Weeds. 153. Stachys palustris L. Can. J. Plant Sci. 94: 709-722. Marsh hedge-nettle, Stachys palustris, is a perennial Eurasian member of the mint family, which has become naturalized and weedy in some parts of eastern North America. It is a hexaploid member of a holarctic species complex, which differs morphologically from the primarily tetraploid North American forms. The production of fleshy tuberous rhizomes is the most significant distinctive feature. In Canada, it has been a weed of potato and root crops in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, although other crops and areas, such as soybean in Ontario, are also affected. Usually considered a wetland plant, it readily spreads into drier arable fields from adjacent ditches and wetlands. Several herbicides available for use in Canada have been found to provide limited long-term suppression in agricultural systems, with the best results obtained using combined pre-emergent and post-emergent applications.

Thompson, D. J. 2014. Relating germination requirements of timber milkvetch to seral stage in the Interior Douglas-fir zone. Can. J. Plant Sci. 94: 723-726. Germination of timber milkvetch (Astragalus miser var. serotinus) seeds was studied to determine if it is an early or late seral species. Seeds were collected from a native plant population and those having a dark seed coat were selected. Germination tests were run in the light or dark and under three temperature regimes: low (constant 10°C), high (constant 25°C), and alternating (25°C day and 10°C night). Germination occurred over a protracted period with new germinants up to 90 d at the lowest temperature. Germination was not affected by light. Germination rate was greater at 25°C than 10°C, while fluctuating temperatures (25 and 10°C alternating every 12 h) reduced germination rate to that at the lower temperature. Days to 50% germination was a more sensitive indicator, with the mean for the fluctuating temperatures falling between those continuous to the high and low temperature. Final germination percentage was reduced at 10°C compared with 25°C, but not with fluctuating temperatures. Timber milkvetch seed germination did not respond to light or fluctuating temperatures, adding to a body of evidence that it is a late seral species.

Beckie, H. J., Johnson, E. N., Leeson, J. Y., Shirriff, S. W. and Kapiniak, A. 2014. Selection and evolution of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC)-inhibitor resistance in wild oat (Avena fatua L.) in a long-term alternative cropping systems study. Can. J. Plant Sci. 94: 727-731. In 2012, 18 yr after experiment establishment, wild oat from the spring wheat phase of seven of nine alternative cropping systems (each of three input levels applied to three levels of cropping diversity) were sampled and screened for ACC-inhibitor resistance. The frequency or level of resistance in wild oat was greatest in the diversified annual grains systems (42-60% of individuals), and lowest in the diversified annual perennial systems (<3%). The results of this study demonstrate the importance of perennial crops in slowing the selection and evolution of resistance in this weed. Moreover, annual cropping system diversity by itself is not enough to slow the evolution of ACC-inhibitor resistance in wild oat; cropping diversity must be linked with herbicide mode-of-action diversity and herbicide-use reduction.

An, P., Li, X., Zheng, Y., Eneji, A. E. and Inanaga, S. 2014. Calcium effects on root cell wall composition and ion contents in two soybean cultivars under salinity stress. Can. J. Plant Sci. 94: 733-740. It has been widely suggested that calcium (Ca) application ameliorates salt stress, but characteristic changes in root cell wall due to Ca application under saline conditions are poorly documented. Our objectives were: (1) to determine the effect of Ca on root cell wall composition, using two soybean cultivars differing in sensitivity to salt stress and (2) to understand the relationship between the internal effects of sodium-calcium interaction on the root cell wall. Uniform seedlings were transplanted into mixed solutions of NaCl (0, 40 mM,) and CaCl₂ (0, 0.5, 2 mM). Root lengths were measured after an exposure of 14, 24 and 40 h to the treatments and cell wall analysis performed for total sugars, uronic acid and ion contents. Without salinity stress, Ca application caused no significant changes in root growth and cell wall constituents in both cultivars. However, it did ameliorate the decrease in the amount of cell wall under stress, especially the pectin fraction. Both cell wall and cellular Ca² and K contents were significantly increased by additional Ca² under saline condition. Therefore, by applying Ca² , the maintenance of pectin level and increase in cell wall Ca² may contribute to the restoration of root growth under salinity. Calcium application significantly increased the pectin level under salinity and soybean root growth also showed notable restoration. One way Ca ameliorates salt toxicity may be by maintaining the composition of the cell wall. This ameliorative effect was more conspicuous in the salt-tolerant cultivar, Dare, than the salt-sensitive cultivar, Touzan 69.

Saunders, D., Poppleton, D., Struchkov, A. and Ireland, R. 2014. Analysis of five bioactive compounds from naturally occurring Rhodiola rosea in eastern Canada. Can. J. Plant Sci. 94: 741-748. The plant Rhodiola rosea produces several bioactive compounds including salidroside, tyrosol, rosarin, rosavin, and rosin. These compounds have been used in traditional medicinal practices in Asia and are currently found in many nutraceutical mixtures. The nutraceutical qualities of these five compounds has resulted in over harvesting of natural populations of R. rosea and instigated several industrial cultivation operations. The purpose of this study was to examine R. rosea from five distinct natural populations in the maritime provinces of Canada to determine the concentrations of these five bioactive compounds. Ten samples were obtained from each of five sites and the concentration of each compound in the rhizomes was determined. Reverse phase-HPLC with a diode array detector was used to quantify the five compounds extracted from plant samples. The concentrations of salidroside were found to be as high as 1.76% of total dry weight, tyrosol 0.28%, rosarin 1.1%, rosavin 2.14%, and rosin 0.31%. To the best of our knowledge, this is one of the first studies to determine rhizomal concentrations of the five bioactive compounds in natural Canadian samples of R. rosea.

Chen, G., Zhang, J., Liu, P. and Dong, S. 2014. An empirical model for changes in the leaf area of maize. Can. J. Plant Sci. 94: 749-757. Accurate predictions of the leaf area index (LAI) are critical for many crop growth simulation models and essential for simulating crop growth and yield. In this paper, we present a new empirical leaf area model that simulates LAI for different maize (Zea mays L.) varieties under different cultivation conditions. Based on leaf morphological development, the model describes the two processes of leaf growth: expansion and senescence. The effect of planting density and nitrogen on LAI was also simulated in the model. A nitrogen sensitivity parameter was used to distinguish the different varieties. The model predictions were compared with field measurements of LAI for four varieties under different conditions. The results showed that the new model can correctly simulate LAI for maize under different cultivation conditions. The sensitivity analyses revealed that the new LAI model was very sensitive to lle (the length of the ear leaf) and VN (fertilizer sensitivity parameters of cultivars). The new model facilitates the simulation of maize leaf growth and senescence at the population level.

Vijayabharathi, R., Kumari, B. R., Sathya, A., Srinivas, V., Abhishek, R., Sharma, H. C. and Gopalakrishnan, S. 2014. Biological activity of entomopathogenic actinomycetes against lepidopteran insects (Noctuidae: Lepidoptera). Can. J. Plant Sci. 94: 759-769. The aim of the present study was to identify an efficient broad-spectrum bio-pesticide for the control of lepidopteran insects from microbes in various ecological niches. A total of 111 microbes isolated from various herbal vermi-composts and organically cultivated fields were evaluated for their intracellular metabolites (ICM), extracellular metabolites (ECM) and whole culture (WC) against early instars of lepidopteran insects. Fifteen actinomycete isolates which showed insecticidal activity against 2nd instar Helicoverpa armigera were selected and further screened against Spodoptera litura and Chilo partellus. A significant broad spectrum insecticidal activity was found in the order ECM>ICM>WC against all the insects under laboratory conditions. All these actinomycete isolates also registered significant activity under greenhouse conditions on 2nd instar H. armigera. The actinomycete isolates were identified by 16S rDNA sequencing and matched with Streptomyces species using BLAST search. Among all the 15 isolates, SAI-25 (S. griseoplanus), CAI-155 (S. bacillaris) and BCA-698 (S. albolongus) showed consistent entomopathogenic activity against all the three insects suggesting their potential as broad-spectrum biocontrol agents against other lepidopterans.

Cicek, H., Entz, M. H., Thiessen Martens, J. R. and Bullock, P. R. 2014. Productivity and nitrogen benefits of late-season legume cover crops in organic wheat production. Can. J. Plant Sci. 94: 771-783. When full-season cover crops are used in stockless organic rotations, cash crop production is compromised. Including winter cereals in rotations can widen the growing season window and create a niche for late-season cover crops. We investigated the establishment and biomass production of relay-cropped red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) and sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis L. ‘Norgold’) and double-cropped cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. ‘Iron and Clay’), hairy vetch (Vicia villosa L.), lentil (Lens culinaris L. ‘Indianhead’), soybean (Glycine max L. ‘Prudence’), pea (Pisum sativum L. ‘40-10’), and oil seed radish (Raphanus sativus L.) as well as wheat response to these crops under reduced tillage (RT) and conventional tillage (CT) at three locations in Manitoba, Canada. Red clover, sweet clover and pea produced from 737 to 4075 and 93 to 1453 and 160 to 2357 kg ha^-1of biomass, respectively. All double crops, with the exception of soybean at 2 site years, established successfully under both RT and CT. The presence of cover crops increased wheat N uptake at stem elongation, maturity and yield, even when the biomass production of cover crops was modest. We conclude that late-season cover crops enhance the following wheat yield and facilitate reduced tillage in organic crop production.

Haile, T. A., Gulden, R. H. and Shirtliffe, S. J. 2014. On-farm seed loss does not differ between windrowed and direct-harvested canola. Can. J. Plant Sci. 94: 785-789. Seed loss in canola (Brassica napus) leads to considerable loss of revenue and dispersal of seeds into the soil seedbank. The resulting volunteer canola can create weed problems in subsequent crops and result in further yield loss. The objective of this study was to quantify and compare canola seed loss and seedbank addition from windrowing and direct-harvesting operations on commercial farms in western Canada. A total of 16 direct-harvested and 19 windrowed canola fields were surveyed in central and southern Saskatchewan during 2010, 2011 and 2012. Shattered seeds from these fields were sampled within 3 wk after harvest of the crop using a vacuum cleaner. There were no differences in seed yield, loss or seedbank addition of canola between windrowing and direct-harvesting operations. There was a difference in 1000-seed weight between the harvest methods and seeds of the direct-harvested canola were larger in size. This may suggest that direct-harvesting can be considered as a viable option to harvest canola in western Canada.

Duguid, S. D., Rashid, K. Y. and Kenaschuk, E. O. 2014. Prairie Grande flax. Can. J. Plant Sci. 94: 791-795. Prairie Grande, a medium-early maturing oilseed flax (Linum usitatissimum L.), was released in 2007 by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Morden Research Station, Morden, Manitoba. Developed from a cross of AC Watson/CI3395 made in 1996, Prairie Grande was evaluated in the Flax Cooperative Trials in (2003-2005) before being registered in 2007. Prairie Grande's desirable combination of significantly higher yield with significantly earlier maturity (3.1 d earlier than Flanders), along with seed quality similar to Flanders, but with higher protein content in the meal and a good disease resistance package, should make it a useful cultivar for producers in the northern prairies of Canada and the flax industry.

Legge, W. G., Tucker, J. R., Fetch, T. G. Jr., Haber, S., Menzies, J. G., Tekauz, A., Turkington, T. K. and Savard, M. E. 2014. AAC Synergy barley. Can. J. Plant Sci. 94: 797-803. AAC Synergy is a hulled two-row spring malting barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivar with high yield and is widely adapted to western Canada. Developed from the cross TR02267/Newdale made in 2002, AAC Synergy was evaluated in the Western Cooperative Two-row Barley Registration Test (2009-2010) and the Collaborative Malting Barley Trials (2010-2011) conducted by the malting and brewing industry before being registered in 2012. AAC Synergy's excellent combination of agronomic traits, disease resistance and desirable malting quality traits should make it a useful cultivar for producers and the malting and brewing industry.

Bing, D., Beauchesne, D., McLaren, D., Vera, C. and Gehl, D. 2014. AAC Lacombe field pea. Can. J. Plant Sci. 94: 805-806. AAC Lacombe is a semi-leafless, yellow cotyledonary field pea (Pisum sativum L.) cultivar developed at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Lacombe Research Centre, Lacombe, Alberta, Canada. It is a high-yielding cultivar with excellent standability. AAC Lacombe is resistant to powdery mildew caused by Erysiphe pisi Syd. It has medium maturity and is adapted to all field pea growing regions in western Canada.