Page 254 - Plant Canada 2024 Proceeding

PLANT CANADA 2024

documented to synthesize important MIAs. In this project, the purification and identification of MIAs
synthesized by Alstonia scholaris was attempted, yielding four MIAs.

*[P102] MANAGING VERTICILLIUM STRIPE DISEASE IN CANOLA THROUGH GENETICS, OMICS,
AND UNDERSTANDING THE
BRASSICA NAPUS - VERTICILLIUM LONGISPORUM INTERACTION.
Ayomi Thilakarathne and Zhongwei Zou. Department of Biology, Wilfrid Laurier University, 75 University
Ave W, Waterloo, ON, Canada, N2L 3C5
Correspondence to: zzou@wlu.ca

Canola (Brassica napus) is a highly demanding and economically valuable crop in Canada, contributing
approximately $29 billion to revenue. Canola in Canada faces several devastating diseases, including
blackleg, clubroot, and sclerotinia stem rot. Among the most common diseases, Verticillium stripe
disease, a newly emerged disease caused by the soilborne fungal pathogen Verticillium longisporum, has
caused drastic damage to canola yields. Nevertheless, fungicidal application, crop rotation, or cultural
control measures offer inconsistent and expensive disease management options that do not facilitate
control. Additionally, resistant varieties, as an effective control measure, are currently unavailable.
Therefore, this study will focus on the impact of V. longisporum on changes in the expression of genes
involved in plant growth hormone biosynthesis and antioxidant enzyme activity, as it is poorly studied and
understood in canola. RNA-Seq data will express the behavioral changes of the genes responsible for the
activities of antioxidant enzymes and plant growth hormones during the disease progression. By
narrowing down the differentially expressed gene pool identified, a few critical genes will be selected and
used for functional characterization at the seedling stage of B. napus plants against the disease.
CRISPR/Cas9 will be applied to knock out the negatively regulating candidate genes in B. napus
resistance in response to V. longisporum infection. Furthermore, the resistant evaluation of V.
longisporum-infected canola plants will be assessed concurrently. Spectrometric outputs will outline the
behavior of significant antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase. The
most effective genes identified, as well as phenotypic evaluation and antioxidant enzyme production
analysis, will be employed in future breeding strategies to produce B. napus varieties that have resistance
against V. longisporum, as well as for a better understanding of disease progression and aiding in
effective disease management strategies in the field.

*[P103] ASSESSING THE INFLUENCE OF COVER CROP MIXTURES ON SOIL HEALTH IN FABA
1
1
BEAN PRODUCTION SYSTEM IN BOREAL CLIMATE. Sharjeel Ahmad , Yeukai Katanda , Syed J.
1
1 1
R. Bukhari , Lakshman Galagedara , and Mumtaz Cheema . School of Science and the Environment,
1
Memorial University of Newfoundland, Corner Brook, NL, A2H 5G4, Canada
Correspondence: sharjeela@mun.ca

Low soil fertility, extreme weather conditions, and a short growing season are the major factors of low
crop production in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL). Winter cover crops (CCs) are known to be grown for
their ability to establish quickly and survive in extreme environmental conditions. Early frost and low
temperatures during fall significantly delay harvesting of primary crops and seeding of CCs), hence CC
establishment. CCs are known to enhance soil carbon (C) pools, reduce erosion, increase soil organic
matter (SOM), add nitrogen (N), improve soil physicochemical properties, and enrich active microbial
population and abundance. The present research examines how the establishment of CC mixtures
impacts on labile carbon pools, mineral nitrogen, and the active microbial population in soil within faba
bean (Vicia faba L.) production systems situated in a boreal climate.
During the 2022 and 2023 growing seasons, a field trial was conducted in Pasadena, NL. Faba beans
were planted on June 6, 2022, and June 30, 2023, and harvested on August 25, 2022, and October 18,
2023. CC mixtures were planted after harvesting faba beans, on August 31, 2022, and harvested on June
27, 2023. The 14 CC mixtures were two- and three-crop combinations of legumes (hairy vetch (HV), red
clover (RC), berseem clover (BC), and bird’s foot trefoil (BT)) and grasses (triticale (TR), fall rye (CR), and
annual ryegrass (AR)). Soil sampling was done from the top-20 cm after harvesting CC mixtures to
determine permanganate-oxidizable carbon (POX-C), particulate organic matter nitrogen (POM-N) and
carbon (POM-C), microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and nitrogen (MBN) and mineral N. Phospholipid fatty
acid analysis (PLFA), was performed to determine the active microbial community structure and
abundance.

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