Bound phenolics from oat grain endosperm–germ and bran fractions contributed to 73.30%–82.22% of total phenol content and 59.33%–66.83%, 67.86%–75.74%, and 59.02%–67.86% of total antioxidant capacity in ABTS-AC, DDPH-AC, and FRAP-AC, respectively. Bound phenolics form the bulk of the total phenol content and antioxidant capacity, especially in bran fraction.

There is little information on soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] grown in western Canada despite its expanding acreage in this region. This study quantified the yield and uptake of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in three short-season soybean varieties (in 2014) and their impact on following wheat and canola crops, as well as soil nutrient supplies in 2015 in comparison to three pea and three lentil varieties at four sites in Saskatchewan. In 2014, soybean had comparable grain yield (929–3534 kg ha^-1) and higher grain N (39–48 g kg^-1) and P (5.1–6.8 g kg^-1) concentrations compared with pea and lentil. In 2015, although soil N and P supplies showed some responses to different stubbles during the growing season, cumulative soil nutrient supplies were similar in soybean, pea, and lentil stubbles at the end of the season. Overall, soybean, pea, and lentil stubbles had similar impact on the yield and uptake of N and P in the wheat or canola crop grown in the subsequent year. The findings suggest promising potential for soybean production to achieve rotational benefits similar to other grain legumes grown under western Canadian soil–climatic conditions.

Genetic diversity of dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in Canadian breeding programs is low. Cultivars, especially black beans, generally lack resistance to anthracnose. One hundred and fifty-five black bean accessions originating from twenty countries were evaluated for their resistance to races 73 and 105 of Colletotrichum lindemuthianum (Sacc. & Magnus) Briosi & Cavara, the predominant races of the bean anthracnose pathogen in Canada. Artificial inoculation in growth chambers identified 39 accessions that were resistant to race 73, of which 33 were also resistant to race 105. Only one accession was susceptible to race 73 and resistant to 105. The resistant lines from the collection were also screened with genetic markers closely associated with known anthracnose resistance genes. At least one of the major resistance loci, Co-1, Co-2, Co-3, Co-4, and Co-5, was indicated to be present in all except four accessions. The majority of resistant accessions appeared to carry at least one or two major resistance loci. The black bean accessions with anthracnose resistance will provide much-needed breeding materials and expand genetic diversity for Canadian and international dry bean improvement.

Information on the genetic potential of raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) genotypes for their use in breeding programs is currently limited. We used a diallel mating design to study the breeding values of raspberry primocane fruiting cultivars in terms of their combining ability. The objectives of this study were to identify raspberry genotypes with high general combining ability (GCA) for use in cultivar development, detect the best crosses in terms of their specific combining ability (SCA), and determine the gene action type and heritability of yield and eight of its components. The obtained results showed that the parent cultivar MRSL exhibited the highest GCA effects for the total yield per plant, fruit weight, number of fruit per plant, fruit length, fruit diameter, and number of drupelets per fruit. Genotype C47 had good GCA for the number of canes per plant and plant height and TD-865 had high GCA for high soluble solids content. The narrow-sense heritability estimates were low to moderate (0.00–0.62) for most of the traits, with soluble solids content exhibiting the highest heritability value.

Fusarium head blight is a common disease of oat and resistant cultivars are not available in Canada. The effect of nitrogen (N) fertilization on the incidence of seed-borne Fusarium spp. was evaluated under natural field conditions in three locations (Ottawa, ON; Melfort, SK; and Normandin, QC) in Canada in 2013 and 2014. At each site, oat cultivars CDC Morrison, AAC Nicolas, and AAC Noranda were used under four levels of N fertilization (0, 50, 100, and 150 kg N ha^-1). Of the seven Fusarium spp. recovered, F. poae, F. equiseti, F. graminearum,F. sporotrichioides, and F. avenaceum were the most common species and were isolated from 9.6%, 1.3%, 1.1%, 1.0%, and 0.3% of the harvested grain, representing 72%, 10%, 8%, 7%, and 3% of the pathogen population, respectively. The remaining species, F. acuminatum and F. oxysporum, were each recovered from a single seed only. A significant N treatment effect (P < 0.05) was observed in four of the six location–years in which the highest N treatment of 150 kg N ha^-1 resulted in greater incidence of the predominant species (F. poae) and total Fusarium spp. than the untreated control (0 kg N ha^-1). Among the commonly recovered species, only seed-borne infection by F. graminearum increased significantly with the levels of N treatments applied. A highly significant effect of location, year, and location × year interaction (P < 0.01) was observed, suggesting that the field and weather conditions have a stronger influence on incidence of seed-borne Fusarium spp. than the N treatments.

In this study, to investigate the role of cyclic adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-ribose (cADPR) in nitric oxide–guanosine 3?,5?-cyclic monophosphate (NO–cGMP)-induced isoflavone accumulation in soybean sprouts under ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation, the sprouts were treated with donors and inhibitors of NO and cGMP as well as the cADPR inhibitor. The results showed that NO, with cGMP as a second messenger, activated ADP-ribosyl cyclase, leading to cADPR accumulation under UVB radiation. The cADPR inhibitor suppressed UVB radiation-induced isoflavone synthesis, the activity, gene, and protein expression of chalcone synthase (CHS) and isoflavone synthase (IFS), while this inhibition could be reversed by sodium nitroprusside and 8-Br-cGMP. This suggested that cADPR induced by the NO–cGMP pathway was involved in isoflavone synthesis by elevating the activity, gene, and protein expression of CHS and IFS. Overall, cADPR mediates NO–cGMP-induced isoflavone accumulation in soybean sprouts under UVB stress.

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades are critical components of signal transduction pathways; however, little is known about whether MAPK is involved in phenylpropanoid pathways under UVB radiation. In this study, we investigated the role of MAPK in mediating nitric oxide (NO) induced isoflavone accumulation in soybean sprouts under UVB radiation. UVB-triggered NO stimulated gene and protein expression of MAPK. Furthermore, U0126 [1,4-diamino-2,3-dicyano-1,4-bis(o-aminophenylmercapto)butadiene] (a MAPK inhibitor) hindered UVB-induced isoflavone accumulation and gene and protein expression of enzymes involved in isoflavone biosynthesis [chalcone synthase (CHS) and isoflavone synthase (IFS)]. The attenuation was reversed by exogenous NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP). SNP treatment used alone could also enhance isoflavone synthesis and gene and protein expression of CHS and IFS. Overall, MAPK mediates NO-induced isoflavone accumulation in soybean sprouts under UVB radiation.

Cadmium (Cd) is one of the most toxic heavy metal pollutants highly hazardous to pollen tubes by disrupting mitochondria. Mitochondrial pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) plays an important role in cellular metabolism and links cytosolic glycolytic metabolism to the tricarboxylic acid cycle. However, the relationship between PDC, pollen germination, and pollen tube growth under Cd stress remains unclear. Here, we found that Cd inhibited Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze pollen germination and pollen tube growth in a dose-dependent manner and disrupted the tip clear zone of the pollen tube. Furthermore, we isolated a novel PDC gene (CsPDC-E1α) from C. sinensis. The full-length cDNA of CsPDC-E1α was 1606 bp and encoded a 393 amino acid protein containing a typical PDC thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP) binding site, heterodimer interface, phosphorylation loop region, and tetramer interface domain, suggesting that CsPDC-E1α was a member of the PDC_ADC_BCADC subfamily in the TPP family. Bioinformatics analysis indicated that the CsPDC-E1α protein shared a high degree of homology with that from Petunia × hybrida. The CsPDC-E1α relative expression levels in pollen were significantly higher than other tissues of C. sinensis, indicating that CsPDC-E1α expression is tissue-specific. To confirm the functions of CsPDC-E1α in pollen response to Cd stress, we analyzed the relative expression level of CsPDC-E1α in Cd-treated pollen tubes and found that the expression of CsPDC-E1α was induced by Cd stress. All these results indicate that CsPDC-E1α might be associated with Cd inhibition of C. sinensis pollen germination and pollen tube growth.

Prevailing global warming has challenged agricultural production such that it is paramount to evaluate crop cultivars that tolerate increasing temperatures. Heat tolerance in many crops has been screened by examining in vitro pollen germination. The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of high temperature on in vitro pollen germination and pollen tube growth in Pisum sativum L., a crop species adapted to relatively cool temperatures. To evaluate genotypic differences, pollen from 24 cultivars grown in the field was collected and subjected to control (24 °C) and high temperature (36 °C) regimes for 24 h. The latter reduced both in vitro pollen germination percentage and pollen tube growth. Moreover, cultivars differed significantly for in vitro germination of their pollen at high temperatures but not for pollen tube length of germinated grains at 36 °C. In vitro pollen germination was not correlated with seed set parameters of seven of the same cultivars tested in growth chambers at control (24 °C day – 18 °C night) conditions. In contrast, when cultivars were grown at 35 °C day – 18 °C night, pollen germination percentage was positively associated with seed retention, number of seeds per pod, and seed to ovule ratio. Together, these findings corroborate studies in other crops, indicating that in vitro pollen germination represents an accurate screening technique for assessing heat tolerance in field pea.

Genetic differentiation in natural populations is driven by geographic distance and by ecological features within and between natural habitats. Among the cereal species, barley is the most strongly adapted to the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). The objective of this study was to search for correlations between the genetic structure of QTP barley landraces and variation for ecogeographical factors. A set of 230 six-rowed naked barley landraces adapted to a wide range of ecological conditions in the QTP were genotyped using the Diversity Array Technology (DArT) platform. On this basis, two distinct populations and four subpopulations were recognized, each associated with a definable geographical distribution. Population structure appeared to be best correlated with altitude at the population level, but temperature and rainfall contributed markedly to the structure of subpopulations. Nine of the 22 outlier loci were identified as being under positive selection and related to traits potentially important for local adaptation. Some correlations between the variation in certain ecogeographical factors and allele frequency at particular DArT loci were observed. The identification of DArT markers potentially associated with adaptation traits should encourage the exploitation of this unique germplasm as a source of genetic variation relevant for barley improvement.

High-voltage electrostatic fields (HVEFs) can increase the nitrogen uptake of plants. An ammonium cation inhibitor, tetraethylammonium chloride, and a nitrate ion inhibitor, 5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino)-benzoate, were added to ammonium and nitrate growing solutions with and without exposure to HVEFs to investigate the effects of these fields on tomato seedlings. The seedlings were exposed to HVEFs with field intensities of 2.25 and 2.5 kV cm^-1, respectively, for 8 h and the dynamic absorption of nitrogen ions was comparatively analyzed. The seedlings exposed to HVEFs were planted in a greenhouse, the diameter and length of their stems were measured after a 20-d growth period, and their fruit yield was recorded after harvest. Results demonstrated that HVEFs with field intensities of 2.25 and 2.5 kV cm^-1 could respectively improve the dynamic absorption of and by the hydroponically grown tomato seedlings. Many channel proteins were also activated by HVEFs as nitrogen uptake increased. HVEF treatment in the seedling stage is a potential mechanism to enhance nitrogen uptake, cultivate shorter and stockier seedlings, and increase yield.

The efficacy of harvest weed seed control depends on the extent of seed shatter of the targeted weeds. Seed shatter of nine weed species, namely, wild oat (Avena fatua L.), green foxtail [Setaria viridis (L.) P. Beauv.], wild mustard (Sinapis arvensis L.), cleavers (Galium spurium L. and G. aparine L.), spiny annual sow thistle [Sonchus asper (L.) Hill], lambsquarters (Chenopodium album L.), redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus L.), round-leaved mallow (Malva pusilla Sm.), and kochia [Kochia scoparia (L.) Schrad.] was measured in spring wheat (small-plot trials or producer fields) from 2014 to 2016 near Lacombe and Lethbridge, AB. Seed shatter was assessed using shatter trays collected periodically during crop ripening, as well as at the swathing and direct-harvest (direct-combining) stages. If ≤20% and ≥80% seed shatter by the direct-harvest stage is considered low and high, respectively, then green foxtail, lambsquarters, kochia, and round-leaved mallow are classified as low, wild oat and annual sow thistle as high, and the other investigated species classed as intermediate. Seed retention of most species was improved by swathing compared with direct-combining. Study results indicate that harvest weed seed control practices have good potential for several weed species in western Canada.

Seedling blight and root rot caused by Rhizoctonia solani Kühn are important constraints to the expansion of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] production in Alberta, Canada. The reaction of 21 soybean genotypes to R. solani was assessed in inoculated field trials in Alberta in 2014–2016. Inoculation with R. solani resulted in a significant reduction in stand, nodulation, and yield and a significant increase in root rot severity for all of the soybean genotypes. The genotype P001T34R had lower reductions in stand establishment compared with NSC Portage RR, TH29002RR, TH27005RR, or LS003R22 and there were inconsistent variations in yield loss among the genotypes in two of the three site–years. No significant variation in disease severity or nodulation was observed among the genotypes. Stability analysis showed the soybean genotypes P001T34R, 23-60RY, NSC VitoRR, and NSC TilstonRR2Y had higher and more stable stand establishment, while 900Y01, 23-60RY, P001T34R, and P002T04R had higher and more stable seed yield in comparison with the other genotypes in this study. The study also revealed that R. solani caused a loss of 48% in stand establishment and 52% in seed yield. Root rot severity ranged from 0.38 to 2.36 on a scale of 0–4 among the genotypes but was not consistent over the trials. Root rot severity and yield loss increased with increasing inoculum density, while stand establishment, nodulation, and seed yield declined. Regression analysis showed that stand establishment, nodulation, and yield were strongly positively correlated but strongly negatively correlated with root rot severity.

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a major food source supplying nutrients required for adequate human nutrition. Changing fertility and cropping practices could alter the concentration of essential elements in wheat grain. This study utilized two long-term field experiments to determine the effect of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilization and cropping system on the concentration of N, P, potassium (K), sulphur (S), calcium (Ca), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn) in wheat grain. Fertilizer P increased P (18%), K (6%), Mg (4%), and Mn (7%) concentrations but decreased Zn (26%) and Cu (22%). The grain concentration of P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, and Zn declined as crop yields increased in response to N fertilization or more favourable growing conditions. A cropping system with alfalfa hay increased the wheat grain concentration of N (10%), S (17%), Cu (20%), Mg (18%), and Zn (50%). Cropping systems with wheat alone had only minor effects on human nutrient concentrations in wheat grain, depending on the frequency of fallow. Changing wheat production systems, especially fertilizer application, could suppress the availability of essential micronutrients Cu and Zn if the concentrations were already low but most other elements were generally adequate.

Brassinoids are plant steroidal hormones that are ubiquitous in the plant kingdom and regulate a wide range of physiological and stress responses. In a plastic tunnel pot bioassay experiment, three levels of 28-homobrassinolide (HBL) at 1, 3, and 5 μmol L^-1 were tested for growth and physiological attributes of cucumber cultivars ‘Jinyou 1’ (salt-sensitive) and ‘Changchun Mici’ (salt-tolerant), grown at various salt stress conditions (60 and 120 mmol L^-1). Cucumber plants of both cultivars subjected to salt stress exhibited reduced growth attributes and altered antioxidant enzymes at 60 and 120 mmol L^-1. However, the deleterious effects of salt stress were partially improved by HBL. The foliar application of HBL enhanced shoot and root fresh and dry weight and chlorophyll content at 60 and 120 mmol L^-1 NaCl stress in ‘Jinyou 1’ and ‘Changchun Mici’, respectively. Homobrassinolide application also altered the antioxidant enzyme levels by increasing super oxide dismutase and peroxidase levels and decreased malondialdehyde content under 60 and 120 mmol L^-1 stress in both plant cultivars. Overall results showed that HBL could enhance growth attributes, chlorophyll content, and antioxidant enzymes for both of the cultivars under mild and high NaCl stress.

Pethoxamid has not been evaluated for use in dry bean in Ontario. Seven field experiments were established at three Ontario locations to evaluate the effect of pethoxamid applied preplant incorporated (PPI) and preemergence (PRE) at 1200 and 2400 g a.i. ha^-1 in dry bean. At 2 wk after emergence, pethoxamid caused as much as 19%, 4%, 4%, and 6% injury when applied at 1200 g a.i. ha^-1 and 32%, 6%, 9%, and 10% injury when applied at 2400 g a.i. ha^-1 in adzuki, kidney, small red Mexican, and white bean, respectively. There was no difference in plant stand of dry beans with pethoxamid applied PPI and PRE at 1200 or 2400 g a.i. ha^-1. Pethoxamid applied PPI reduced shoot dry weight 15% compared with when applied PRE. Pethoxamid applied at 2400 g a.i. ha^-1 also reduced shoot dry weight 12% compared with when applied at 1200 g a.i. ha^-1. There was no difference in the seed yield of adzuki, kidney, small red Mexican, and white bean with pethoxamid applied PPI or PRE at 1200 or 2400 g a.i. ha^-1. Based on this study, pethoxamid applied PPI or PRE at the proposed rate of 1200 g a.i. ha^-1 has the potential to cause significant injury in adzuki bean. Pethoxamid applied PPI or PRE at the proposed rate of 1200 g a.i. ha^-1 caused less injury in kidney, small red Mexican, and white bean, with no effect on seed yield.

American burnweed is an increasingly common annual weed in wild blueberry fields in Atlantic Canada. Knowledge of susceptibility to several common herbicides used in wild blueberry, however, is lacking, and it is unclear how burnweed responds to clipping. Using greenhouse-grown plants, the objectives of this research were to evaluate burnweed susceptibility to various herbicides registered in wild blueberry and to determine the effect of clipping on burnweed lateral branch and flower production. Postemergence broadcast applications of mesotrione, flumioxazin, glufosinate, clopyralid, foramsulfuron, glyphosate, tribenuron methyl, nicosulfuron/rimsulfuron, terbacil, and hexazinone provided >90% control of burnweed. Postemergence spot applications of clopyralid, glyphosate, mesotrione, and nicosulfuron/rimsulfuron to 24 ± 0.3 cm tall burnweed plants caused 60%–97% injury, but <50% of treated plants died. In contrast, spot applications of glufosinate, tribenuron methyl, and foramsulfuron provided complete control of treated plants. Efficacy of postemergence broadcast mesotrione and foramsulfuron applications declined with increasing burnweed plant height, although foramsulfuron provided greater control of plants >10 cm in height than mesotrione. A tank mixture of mesotrione and foramsulfuron was effective on burnweed and may be useful for controlling plants of varying size with broadcast applications in the field. Removal of 25%, 50%, and 75% of aboveground burnweed stems with clipping increased lateral branch numbers relative to untreated control plants, and 100% removal of the aboveground stem was required to prevent lateral branching and flowering. Stem removal through mowing under field conditions will likely have limited effects on burnweed, and herbicides are recommended for burnweed management in wild blueberry.

Historically, soft white spring (SWS) wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) has been a crop choice in southern Alberta’s irrigation districts. A 12-yr (2000–2011) study compared conservation (CONS) and conventional (CONV) management for SWS wheat in 3–5-yr rotations with dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), and sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.). Conservation management incorporated reduced tillage, compost, cover crops, and narrow-row dry bean. Wheat was largely unresponsive to CONS management, with only 2 of 13 parameters showing significant positive effects: greater grain Ca (605 vs. 576 μg g^-1 on CONV) and S concentrations (1137 vs. 1105 μg g^-1 on CONV). Two parameters showed significant negative responses to CONS management: shorter plant height (82.8 vs. 84.8 cm on CONV) and higher take-all [Gaeumannomyces graminis (Sacc.) Arx & Olivier var. tritici Walker] severity (1.34 vs. 1.27 rating on CONV). The remaining nine parameters were unresponsive: plant density, days to maturity, grain yield, grain protein concentration, test weight, kernel hardness, wheat stem sawfly [Cephus cinctus Norton (Hymenoptera: Cephidae)] damage, and grain P and K concentrations. With a backdrop of continued decline in irrigated SWS wheat hectarage, we feel our data is relevant to other wheat classes grown under irrigation in southern Alberta.

Clubroot, caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae, is an important disease in canola (Brassica napus) and other crucifers. Experiments were conducted to examine the effectiveness of the prill formulation of the soil fumigant dazomet (tetrahydro-3,5-dimethyl-2H-1,3,5-thiadiazine-2-thione, trade name Basamid) on infection by P. brassicae, clubroot severity, and the growth and yield of canola. In greenhouse studies, seedling emergence and plant height increased while infection (both primary and secondary) and clubroot severity decreased, with increasing rates of a dazomet pretreatment. Under field conditions, seedling emergence, gall mass, and seed yield were reduced, especially at high rates of dazomet application (e.g., 0.4–0.8 t a.i. ha^-1). A study conducted under controlled conditions indicated that an inadequate interval between the dazomet treatment and seeding was the underlying cause of the phytotoxic effect on canola in the field experiments. Further field studies showed that covering the soil with construction-grade plastic after dazomet application increased its efficacy, reducing gall weight and clubroot severity and increasing seed yield. Fumigation with dazomet also increased emergence, plant survival, and plant biomass in P. brassicae-infested soils that were inoculated with the soil-borne fungal pathogens Fusarium avenaceum, Pythium ultimum, and Rhizoctonia solani. These results suggest that dazomet is effective against both clubroot and seedling blight in canola.

Farmers in Canada are adopting no-till (NT) production at a high frequency. Conventional tillage (CT) was compared to no till (NT) with corn (Zea mays L.), soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown in monoculture or annual rotation in a long-term study established in Ottawa (1990). From 1996 to 2000, all plots reverted to NT conditions to study the transition effects from CT to NT. In transition from CT to NT, new-NT corn plots yielded significantly more than established-NT plots in the first year of transition only, while there were no transition effects for soybean or wheat. In 2001, the experiment was changed back to CT and NT. Over 15 yr of the tillage–rotation trial (2001–2015), CT corn yields were ∼20% higher than NT corn across all three rotations, but the differences were not significant at the 5% level (p values 0.11–0.15). Fertilizer was not incorporated in all NT corn and wheat crops and may have limited NT yields. Yields did not differ between CT and NT for either soybean or wheat in any of the rotations. Wheat and CT corn yielded 22% and 8% more, respectively, when grown in rotation than in monoculture. Soybean yield did not differ between rotation and monoculture. Crop order in the rotation (corn–soybean–wheat vs. corn–wheat–soybean) did not result in significant yield differences. An economic, agronomic, or environmental advantage will be needed to justify NT corn production in high-yielding environments of a humid continental agroecosystem.

AAC Oriole is a semi-leafless red field pea (Pisum sativum L.) cultivar developed at the Lacombe Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lacombe, AB. It is shorter than most of the recently released yellow and green pea cultivars on the Canadian market with fair standability. It has early maturity, medium seed size, and round seed shape with a crude seed protein content of approximately 24%. AAC Oriole is resistant to powdery mildew caused by Erysiphe pisi DC. and moderately susceptible to mycosphaerella blight [caused by Mycosphaerella pinodes (Berk. & A. Blox.) Vestergr.] and fusarium wilt [caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. pisi (Linford) W.C. Snyder & H.N. Hansen]. It is adapted to all field pea growing regions in western Canada.

Brasetto is one of the first two hybrid winter (fall) rye (Secale cereale L.) cultivars to be registered for production in Canada. In registration trials, its grain yield was 42% higher than the mean of the check entries and 23% higher than the highest yielding reference cultivar, Hazlet. It has a very high falling number, which is of special interest in the food market. Except for lower grain protein content and a slightly higher ergot [Claviceps purpurea (Fr.) Tul.] level, the rest of its measured agronomic and quality characters have been better than or within the range of the Fall Rye Co-operative Registration Trial check cultivars in Canada. Its expected end use will be primarily for food and feed grain.

AAC Argosy is a high-yielding navy bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivar with an upright, indeterminate bush growth habit, large seed size (23 g 100 seeds^-1), and resistance to common bacterial blight and races 1 and 15 of bean common mosaic virus. AAC Argosy is recommended for dry bean growing areas with 2600 or more crop heat units in Ontario, Canada.

AAC Shock is a high-yielding navy bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivar with a semi-upright, indeterminate bush growth habit, large seed size, and resistance to common bacterial blight and races 1 and 15 of bean common mosaic virus. AAC Shock is recommended for dry bean growing areas in Ontario, Canada.

AAC Penhold, an awned hard red spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivar, yielded significantly more grain than check cultivar 5700PR while maturing 2 d earlier and was 7.5 cm shorter in stature. The seed size was significantly larger than 5700PR and 5701PR, with a test weight significantly heavier than both checks. AAC Penhold expressed resistance to prevalent races of leaf rust and common bunt and moderate resistance to Fusarium head blight and stem rust. AAC Penhold had higher grain and flour protein than the checks and improved Hagberg falling number, amylograph viscosity, and water absorption. AAC Penhold is eligible for grades of the Canada Prairie Spring Red wheat market class.

CDC Spruce, a green cotyledon field pea (Pisum sativum L.) cultivar, was released in 2016 by the Crop Development Centre, University of Saskatchewan for distribution to select seed growers through the Variety Release Committee of the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers. CDC Spruce has good lodging resistance, medium-sized round seeds, and good yielding ability. CDC Spruce is adapted to the field pea growing regions of western Canada.

CDC Inca, a yellow cotyledon field pea (Pisum sativum L.) cultivar, was released in 2015 by the Crop Development Centre, University of Saskatchewan for distribution to select seed growers through the Variety Release Committee of the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers. CDC Inca has good lodging resistance, medium-sized round seeds, and good yielding ability. CDC Inca is adapted to the field pea growing regions of western Canada.

CDC Canary, a yellow cotyledon field pea (Pisum sativum L.) cultivar, was released in 2017 by the Crop Development Centre, University of Saskatchewan for distribution to select seed growers through the Variety Release Committee of the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers. CDC Canary has good lodging resistance, medium-sized round seeds, early maturity, and good yielding ability. CDC Canary is adapted to the field pea growing regions of western Canada.

CDC Athabasca, a yellow cotyledon field pea (Pisum sativum L.) cultivar, was released in 2016 by the Crop Development Centre, University of Saskatchewan for distribution to select seed growers through the Variety Release Committee of the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers. CDC Athabasca has good lodging resistance, large-sized round seeds, and good yielding ability. CDC Athabasca is adapted to the field pea growing regions of western Canada.

CDC Forest, a green cotyledon field pea (Pisum sativum L.) cultivar, was released in 2017 by the Crop Development Centre, University of Saskatchewan for distribution to select seed growers through the Variety Release Committee of the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers. CDC Forest has good lodging resistance, medium-sized round seeds, and good yielding ability. CDC Forest is adapted to the field pea growing regions of western Canada.

CDC Spectrum, a yellow cotyledon field pea (Pisum sativum L.) cultivar, was released in 2016 by the Crop Development Centre, University of Saskatchewan for distribution to select seed growers through the Variety Release Committee of the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers. CDC Spectrum has good lodging resistance, medium-sized round seeds, and good yielding ability. CDC Spectrum is adapted to the field pea growing regions of western Canada.