The Ethiopian mustard plant could be used to help canola varieties resist the fungal disease blackleg, says a researcher at the University of Alberta. The Alberta Farm Express describes the work and says blackleg, which weakens plant stems and reduces yields, has become more virulent in western Canada. The disease also occurs in the United States. Oklahoma State University, for instance, produced a four-page fact sheet on cause, symptoms and treatments, which include pesticides, blackleg-resistant varieties and multi-year crop rotations.
Canola is part of the mustard family, which has around 3,000 species as members. The University of Alberta scientists hope to breed resistant genes from Ethiopian mustard into canola, one of the major oilseed crops of the world.