Boivin, G., Hance, T. and Brodeur, J. 2012. Aphid parasitoids in biological control. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 1-12. Aphids are important pests of most cultivated crops worldwide. Among the natural enemies that regulate their populations, aphid parasitoids are commonly used in biological control programs in greenhouses and field situations. They belong to the Hymenoptera (Braconidae and Aphelinidae), and a few species are Diptera (Cecidomyiidae). Aphid parasitoids are themselves exposed to a variety of natural enemies including predators, fungi and hyperparasitoids. The most important impediment to the use of aphid parasitoids as biological control agents remains the production cost to mass-rear parasitoids. Rearing either aphids or directly aphid parasitoids in artificial media could be a solution to produce large quantities of aphid parasitoids at low cost, but such an approach still faces numerous challenges related to the nutritional and physiological requirements of developing aphid parasitoids.

Sinniah, U. R., Wahyuni, S., Syahputra, B. S. A. and Gantait, S. 2012. A potential retardant for lodging resistance in direct seeded rice (Oryza sativaL.). Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 13-18. Yield losses in rice are heavy, particularly when lodging occurs after heading. A major contributing factor towards lodging is the tall phenotypic characteristic of the plant. In rice, application of growth retardant can reduce plant height by means of internode retardation. In this study, paclobutrazol at 50, 100 and 200 ppm was applied as a foliar application at panicle initiation on MR 219 and MR 84 cultivars and its effects on growth, lodging resistance and yield were studied. Foliar-applied growth retardant inhibited plant growth and retarded internode and culm length but increased culm diameter. All treated plants had higher bending resistance compared with the control. A significant positive correlation was observed between increased culm diameter and stem bending resistance (r=0.885). Histological studies showed greater compaction of parenchyma cells with thickening of parenchyma cell walls. Treatments with either 50 or 100 ppm paclobutrazol gave significant retardation of internodes and gave higher stem bending resistance with significant increase in yield.

Ragaee, S., Guzar, I., Abdel-Aal, E-S. M. and Seetharaman, K. 2012. Bioactive components and antioxidant capacity of Ontario hard and soft wheat varieties. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 19-30. Consumer awareness of food and health through improved diet has promoted research on the bioactive components of agricultural products. wholegrain wheat and products rich in wheat bran were found to inhibit oxidation of biologically important molecules such as DNA, LDL cholesterol and membrane lipids, and are linked with reduced incidence of several diseases. The main objective of the present study was to evaluate selected wheat varieties grown in Ontario based on their contents of bioactive compounds and antioxidant properties to identify potential candidates for the functional foods industry. The 21 wheat varieties obtained from different locations in Ontario varied significantly in soluble and bound phenolic acids, ranging between 114 to 155 and 805 to 1068 µg g^-1, respectively. Dietary fiber fractions had narrow ranges being 2.8-4.0% for soluble dietary fiber and 10.1-13.0% for insoluble dietary fiber. Antioxidant capacity measured as DPPH radical inhibition ranged between 5.7-14.9% and 74.1-87.1% for soluble and bound phenolic compounds, respectively. The results demonstrate that certain wholegrain wheat varieties would be excellent sources of bioactive components.

Gurusamy, V., Warkentin, T. D. and Vandenberg, A. 2012. Grafting pea, faba bean, and lentil to improve pulse crop breeding. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 31-38. In vivo grafting experiments were conducted to determine their potential for improving pulse crop breeding techniques for pea, faba bean and lentil. Four scion×five rootstock genotype combinations were used for pea. Survival of grafted pea scions was not affected by genotype of scions or rootstocks, even for wild subspecies. Some scion-rootstock combinations resulted in reduced flowering time for scions. Total seed production of rootstock regrowth plus grafted scion was greater than for ungrafted controls or rooted cuttings. For faba bean, four scion×four rootstock combinations showed scion-rootstock interaction affected percent survival and flowering time of grafted scions. In vivo grafting of lentil scions to faba bean rootstocks is reported for the first time. Two lentil genotypes were grafted onto four faba bean rootstocks. The effects of lentil scion and faba bean rootstock genotype were significant for percent survival, but not for seed production. Percent scion survival was 85% for pea, 56% for faba bean, and 55% for lentil scions on faba bean rootstocks. In vivo grafting techniques can help to maximize the size of F₂ populations for breeding and genetic studies. Intergeneric in vivo grafting of lentil onto faba bean rootstock could be useful for interspecific hybridization studies for lentil.

Vera, C. L., Duguid, S. D., Fox, S. L., Rashid, K. Y., Dribnenki, J. C. P. and Clarke, F. R. 2012. Short Communication: Comparative effect of lodging on seed yield of flax and wheat. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 39-43. Lodging may limit crop productivity and hinder the normal process of harvesting crops. Results from 16 yr (1994-2009) of the Flax Co-operative test and from 29 yr (1981-2009) of the Central Bread Wheat Co-operative test, conducted annually for the evaluation of advanced breeding lines at various locations in the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, Canada, were used to determine the effect of lodging on the seed yield of these two crop species. Seed yield data were regressed on corresponding lodging scores (1-9 scale) collected from field evaluations. Lodging was more frequently a problem in flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) than in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), with average seed yield reductions of 32% and 16%, respectively, when lodging was most severe. Disease has been observed in association with the occurrence of lodging in flax. Further research is necessary to elucidate the participation of airborne and soil microorganisms, particularly pasmo, caused by Septoria linicola (Speg.) Garassini, in the mode and degree to which flax is subjected to, and affected by, lodging.

Llobet, M., Vignolio, O. R., Savé, R. and Biel, C. 2012. Above- and below-ground interactions betweenLotus tenuisandCynodon dactylonunder different fertilization levels. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 45-53. Mixtures of legumes and grasses are recommend for xeric garden fields, landscape restorations and to improve productivity, digestibility and quality of grasslands and pastures, due to the complementarity in the use of resources, their resistance to wide edaphoclimatic conditions and the nitrogen-fixing ability of the legume. However, legumes persistence is poor. Two greenhouse studies examined the relative importance of above- and below-ground competition and root physiological attributes between a legume Lotus tenuis and a grass bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) under two fertilization levels. The plants were arranged using the “Divided pot” technique during 34 wk. Root competition was more important on the performance of both species than shoot competition. Cynodon dactylon had greater nutrient use efficiency than L. tenuis. The low root hydraulic resistance and high specific root length of C. dactylon could enhance its ability to explore the soil and compete for water and nutrients more efficiently than L. tenuis, which compensates for these characteristics with a higher root:shoot ratio than C. dactylon. Although mechanisms involved in root competition between species are not fully understood, our results show that root physiological and morphologic traits contribute to understanding the responses of the species in mixture.

Bork, E. W. and Blonski, L. J. 2012. Short-term native grassland compositional responses following liquid hog manure application. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 55-65. Intensive livestock operations (ILOs) are becoming more common in remote regions of the Canadian prairies in an effort to reduce conflict with other land uses. This has led to ILOs situated where the typical sink for manure application, cultivated land, is not available, leading to growing interest in using native grasslands for manure disposal. Significant opposition exists to this practice, in part due to limited information available on the impact of manure application to native grassland diversity and species composition. We examined plant species composition changes over two growing seasons following varying rates (∼9.5, 19, 38, 75 and 150 kg ha^-1 available N), methods (surface broadcast vs. coulter injected) and timing (fall vs. spring) of one-time liquid hog manure (LHM) application. Our results revealed divergent responses between study sites, with metrics of plant diversity declining in mixed prairie but increasing in fescue grassland with increases in manure application rate. Both communities also demonstrated minor changes in plant species composition, primarily in response to LHM rate and manure application method. Responsive plant species included a mix of native grasses and dicots, some of which may be regarded as undesirable (e.g., Artemisia frigida): however, most vegetation responses were temporary and disappeared by the second year. Although invasion of non-native plant species was not observed, suggesting these communities are tolerant of LHM application, changes in the reproductive effort of dominant grasses (negative in Hesperostipa curtiseta; positive in Pascopyrum smithii and Festuca hallii) suggest LHM application could alter long-term grassland composition. Thus, despite exhibiting resilience to one-time LHM application, future use of native grasslands for manure disposal should be done cautiously.

Hudina, M., Stampar, F., Orazem, P., Mikulic Petkovsek, M. and Veberic, R. 2012. Phenolic compounds profile, carbohydrates and external fruit quality of the 'Concorde' pear (Pyrus communisL.) after bagging. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 67-75. The practice of pre-harvest bagging has been extensively used in several fruit crops to improve the commercial value of the fruit. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of fruit bagging on internal and external quality of the European pear (Pyrus communis L.) cv. ‘Concorde’. Fruit quality was determined by chemical analyses (individual sugars, organic acids and phenolic compounds) and physical characteristics in 2005 and 2006. Bagging of pear fruit after June drop until harvest significantly reduced fruit length in both observed years. Fruit bagging resulted in increased firmness of the fruit only in 2006. Soluble solids content was significantly lower in bagged fruit in 2006. In 2005, bagging had no influence on firmness and soluble solids content. Bagging improved fruit surface lightness, since L* was higher in the bagged than in the control fruit in both years. Also the a* parameter was higher in bagged fruit. We noted significant influence of bagging on total sugars content. Bagging European pear fruit decreased the content of phenolic compounds in skin (catechin, chlorogenic acid, epicatechin, p-coumaric acid, quercetin 3-O-galactoside, quercetin 3-O-glucoside, quercetin 3-O-rhamnoside). The removal of bags 7 d before harvest significantly increased glucose, shikimic and fumaric acids.

Dehghani, H., Feyzian, E., Jalali, M., Rezai, A. and Dane, F. 2012. Use of GGE biplot methodology for genetic analysis of yield and related traits in melon (Cucumis meloL.). Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 77-85. A complete diallel cross experiment of six local Iranian melon populations (Eyvanaki, Abasali, Tashkandi, Hose-sorkh, Mashhadi and Mirpanji) and one cultivar (Ananasi) was conducted. Fruit number, average weight per fruit, yield and acceptable yield were re-evaluated using GGE biplot methodology. The two principal components of biplot explained 70, 58, 86 and 88% of total observed variation for yield, acceptable yield, average weight per fruit and fruit number per plant, respectively. Mirpanji had the highest GCA for yield, acceptable yield and average weight per fruit, but the highest negative GCA for fruit number per plant. Abasali showed the highest positive GCA for fruit number. Biplot analysis allowed a rapid and effective overview of general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) effects of the populations, their performance in crosses, as well as grouping patterns of similar genotypes.

Affleck, I., Sullivan, J. A., Tarn, R. and Yada, R. 2012. Stability of eight potato genotypes for sugar content and French fry quality at harvest and after storage. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 87-96. Processing quality of potatoes for French fries is partially determined by reducing sugar content of the tuber. Much of the potato crop is processed after a storage period when sugar content can change and affect processing quality. In this study, the stability of sugar levels in eight potato genotypes was studied over four environments (i.e., two locations over 2 yr). The GGE biplot analysis was used to measure the stability of, and the association between, quality traits and sugar content. Quality and sugar content were measured 105 and 120 d after planting and 60 and 120 d after storage. The biplots indicated a change in French fry colour scores and stability between the 105 and 120 d after planting harvest dates. Genotypic differences were noted for French fry colour scores and glucose content. Genotypes were identified that were stable for French fry colour during the two storage periods indicating low genotype by environment interaction. The GGE biplot identified mega-environments that encompassed a group of environments with similar attributes. Based on this finding potatoes from only one environment within the mega-environment would need to be stored for quality evaluations.

Soroka, J. J. and L. F. Grenkow. 2012. When is fall feeding by flea beetles (Phyllotretaspp., Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) on canola (Brassica napusL.) a problem? Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 97-107. Two cultivars of Brassica napus canola were seeded in mid-May and early June in three field experiments in each of 3 yr near Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, to determine the effects of late-season flea beetle feeding on seed yields. In the first experiment, canola was sprayed with insecticide late in the summer to eliminate naturally-infesting flea beetles. In the second, 1×1×1.5 m screen cages were placed over early- and late-seeded canola at flowering and infested with flea beetles as canola matured. In the third investigation, sleeve cages were placed over individual plants and infested with 100 flea beetles. Flea beetles had no detrimental effects on early-seeded canola in any experiment, but did affect seed yields of late-seeded plots in some trials. Over two cultivars in 1 year, late-seeded plants in cube cages infested with about 350 flea beetles per plant when lower pods were turning from translucent to green in colour reduced yield by 241 kg ha^-1 over control yields. Seed weights in these late-seeded plots were decreased from 2.68 g per 1000 seeds in uninfested cages to 2.44 g per 1000 seeds in infested cages. Populations of 100 flea beetles per plant in sleeve cages had no effect on harvest parameters in any seeding date or year.

Gillard, C. L., Ranatunga, N. K. and Conner, R. L. 2012. The effect of foliar fungicide application timing on the control of dry bean anthracnose. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 109-118. Anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum lindemuthianum is a major disease of dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), reducing seed quality and yield. A study carried out in 2005 and 2006 at Exeter, ON, and at Morden, MB, determined that a sequential application of fungicide at the correct time is crucial for the effective management of the disease. The effect of the fungicides azoxystrobin and pyraclostrobin at four single foliar application timings at 5th trifoliolate (A), 1st flower (B), full flower (C) and 10 d after full flower (D) and at three sequential timings (A C, B C, and B D) were evaluated under low and high disease pressure conditions. Data were collected on leaf vein and pod infection, plant maturity, dockage, pick, seed weight, yield and return on investment. Results were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and contrast comparisons were carried out for various treatment combinations. Differences between the two fungicides for leaf symptoms were not apparent under low disease pressure, but occurred early in plant development under high disease pressure. Pyraclostrobin-treated plots produced a higher yield under high disease pressure and better quality seeds at both high and low disease pressure conditions. A single fungicide application at the A timing gave higher yield under low disease pressure, while timings B and C gave a higher yield under high disease pressure. A sequential application often provided greater anthracnose control and improved yield and seed quality, compared with single application timings. For the sequential application timings, the highest yields occurred at the A C timing under low disease pressure, and at the A C or B C timing under high disease pressure.

Gravena, R., Filho, R. V., Alves, P. L. C. A., Mazzafera, P. and Gravena, A. R. 2012. Glyphosate has low toxicity to citrus plants growing in the field. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 119-127. There has been controversy over whether glyphosate used for weed management in citrus fields causes significant toxicity to citrus plants. Glyphosate may be toxic to non-target plants exposed to accidental application or drift. This work evaluated glyphosate toxicity in plants of Valencia citrus (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck) grafted onto ‘Rangpur lime’ (Citrus limonia L. Osbeck) and citrumelo ‘Swingle’ (Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Raf×Citrus paradisi Macf) by trunk- or foliar-directed herbicide applications under field conditions. In the first experiment, glyphosate was sprayed at rates of 0, 90, 180, 260, 540, 1080 and 2160 g a.e. ha^-1 directly on the trunk to a height of 5 cm above the grafting region. In the second experiment, glyphosate was sprayed on the plant canopies at rates of 0, 0.036, 0.36, 3.6, 36, 360 and 720 g a.e. ha^-1. There was no visual damage caused by glyphosate applied directly to the trunk, but the plants were affected by glyphosate sprayed directly on the canopies at rates over 360 g a.e. ha^-1. The main symptom was observed in the new shoots formed after the application, indicating an effect on meristems. Little or no effect was observed in mature leaves. Eight days after application the levels of shikimate, total free amino acids and total phenolic compounds were unaffected. All plants affected by glyphosate recovered between 6 and 12 mo after the treatments. Therefore, despite some transient symptoms Valencia citrus grafted onto ‘Rangpur lime’ and citrumelo ‘Swingle’ were tolerant to glyphosate.

Van Eerd, L. L., Congreves, K. A. and Zandstra, J. W. 2012. Sugar beet (Beta vulgarisL.) storage quality in large outdoor piles is impacted by pile management but not by nitrogen fertilizer or cultivar. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 129-139. Even though storage results in lower sucrose recovery from sugar beets, physical constraints dictate that a significant proportion of the sugar beet crop can be stored up to 120 d before processing. From 2006 to 2010, N fertilization (0-220 kg N ha^-1), sugar beet cultivar, and pile management method were independently evaluated to determine their effects on sugar beet storability in large outdoor piles. At harvest, five representative sugar beet samples from the N and cultivar field trials were placed in a large outdoor storage pile. Sugar beet quality assessments were taken at harvest and three times over the storage season. On the last retrieval date only, sugar beet samples were retrieved from piles managed via the length- vs. end-removal method. Although there were differences among N treatments and cultivars in sugar beet quality at harvest, there were no storage date by N treatment or storage date by cultivar interactions for any parameters measured indicating that N fertilization or cultivar did not influence the ability to maintain sugar beet quality in large outdoor piles. The length-removal method of pile management had better quality sugar beets compared with the standard end-removal method. Hence, sugar beet producers do not need to modify production practices to optimize storability, but sugar beet processors can improve sucrose recovery by removing sugar beets lengthwise along both sides of large piles as opposed to the standard end-removal method.

Kröbel, R., Campbell, C. A., Zentner, R. P., Lemke, R., Desjardins, R. L. and Karimi-Zindashty, Y. 2012. Effect of N, P and cropping frequency on nitrogen use efficiencies of spring wheat in the Canadian semi-arid prairie. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 141-154. Knowledge of nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is useful for determining fertilizer requirements. We used balance and difference methods to determine the effect of N and P fertilizer on nitrogen use efficiencies for continuous wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) (Cont W) and fallow-wheat-wheat (F-W-W) in a 39-yr crop rotation study conducted on a Brown Chernozem at Swift Current in semi-arid southwestern Saskatchewan. In the balance method, NUE was estimated as yield (Y), or grain N content (GN), divided by either fertilizer N (FN), or FN soil test N (SN), or FN SN growing season net N mineralization (N_min). Most reasonable results [calculating NUE as either (Y or GN)/(FN SN N_min)] were unaffected by fertilizer or rotation and averaged 10.9 kg grain kg^-1 available N and 0.3 kg grain N kg^-1 available N, respectively, for the different fertilizer treatments of Cont W and F-W-W. Using the difference method, where check values are deducted from treatment values in the numerator, Cont W had greater NUE than F-W-W (roughly 2:1). Variations in NUE were not easily explained in the rotation experiment because of the confounding effect of concurrent increases in available moisture and FN availability in the last decade. However, results from a semi-controlled lysimeter experiment at Swift Current showed that irrigation increased NUE, while increasing FN decreased NUE curvilinearly. Of the methods used to assess NUE, the simplest (Y/FN) was the least accurate. However, data needed for more accurate estimates are less likely to be available to the farming community.

Nezami, A., Bandara, M. S. and Gusta, L. V. 2012. An evaluation of freezing tolerance of winter chickpea (Cicer arietinumL.) using controlled freeze tests. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 155-161. Chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L.) are subject to freezing injury and/or winter kill. Field testing for freezing tolerance evaluation is slow, unreliable, and highly variable; thus an artificial freeze test that correlates with field survival is required. Our objective was to develop a reliable and simple artificial freeze test to evaluate the freezing tolerance of winter chickpeas. Four cultivars with varying levels of freezing tolerance were grown and cold acclimated under low irradiance (150 µmol m^-2 s^-1) and high irradiance (400 µmol m^-2 s^-1). Acclimated whole plants or excised leaflets were subjected to six tests to determine the LT₅₀ temperature (lowest temperature to kill 50% of the plants). In two tests, following the freeze test, whole plants were held at 20°C/15°C (day/night) for 3 wk for re-growth analysis. LT₅₀ was estimated from both axillary buds and foliage re-growth and from foliage re-growth. The LT₅₀ was also assessed on excised plantlets from whole plants frozen to a series of test temperatures. LT₅₀ was determined by re-growth of plantlets held for 1 wk at 20°C in test tubes or by electrolyte leakage following thawing at 20°C. Excised plantlets were frozen to the same temperatures used for the whole plants. LT₅₀ was determined by re-growth in test tubes for 1 wk or by electrolyte leakage. Results from excised plant parts from frozen intact plants or plantlets excised prior to the freeze test were similar to those estimates derived from re-growth analysis of plants frozen whole. Freeze test employing excised plantlets offers high precision and the ability to screen large populations. Plants grown and cold acclimated under an irradiance of 150 µmol m^-2 s^-1 were not as freezing tolerant as those grown and cold acclimated under an irradiance of 400 µmol m^-2 s^-1.

Thomas, J. B., Gaudet, D. A. and Graf, R. J. 2012. AC Bellatrix hard red winter wheat. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 163-168.AC Bellatrix is a winter-hardy, reduced-height cultivar of hard red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) developed by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada at the Lethbridge Research Centre. Based on evaluation in the Western Winter Wheat Cooperative Registration trials from 1995 to 1997, the average grain yield of AC Bellatrix was higher than Norstar and AC Readymade and similar to CDC Clair and CDC Osprey. AC Bellatrix was shorter than the standard height cultivar Norstar and had moderate lodging resistance, equivalent to CDC Osprey but with stiffer straw than Norstar and CDC Clair. AC Bellatrix exhibited moderate resistance to common bunt but was susceptible to leaf diseases including stem, leaf and stripe rust. Since its registration, AC Bellatrix is eligible for the enhanced-quality grades of the Canada Western Red Winter wheat market class.

Thomas, J. B., Conner, R. L. and Graf, R. J. 2012. Radiant hard red winter wheat. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 169-175. Radiant hard red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is well adapted to the non-hazard region for stem rust (Puccinia graminis Pers.: Pers. f. sp. tritici Eriks. & E. Henn.) within the Canadian prairies. Based on evaluation relative to Norstar, CDC Osprey, AC Tempest and AC Bellatrix in the Western Winter Wheat Cooperative registration trials, Radiant was similar in grain yield to AC Bellatrix, the highest yielding check. Radiant displayed very good winter survival, relatively late maturity, moderate height, very strong straw, high test weight and large seeds. It is the first Canadian wheat cultivar with resistance to colonization by the wheat curl mite (Aceria tosichella Keifer), the sole vector of wheat streak mosaic. Radiant was also shown to have good resistance to the prevalent races of stripe rust. It is susceptible to stem rust, leaf rust and common bunt. Radiant is eligible for all grades of the Canada Western Red Winter (CWRW) wheat class, having demonstrated a desirable combination of grain protein content, milling properties, dough functionality and baking performance. It has gained widespread commercial acceptance, particularly in Alberta.

Graf, R. J., Thomas, J. B., Gaudet, D. A., Laroche, A. and Beres, B. L. 2012. Broadview hard red winter wheat. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 177-181. Broadview is a hard red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivar that is well adapted to the Canadian prairies. Compared with the check cultivars (CDC Falcon, CDC Harrier) in the Western Winter Wheat Cooperative registration trials, Broadview produced grain yield similar to CDC Falcon, the highest yielding check. In the eastern prairie rust area, it yielded 2% and 7% more grain than CDC Falcon and CDC Harrier, respectively. Broadview had good winter survival, early maturity, short straw, good lodging resistance and high test weight. It exhibited very good resistance to stem and leaf rust, and is believed to be the first winter wheat cultivar in North America to deploy the Lr21 leaf rust resistance gene. Broadview is eligible for all grades of the Canada Western General Purpose wheat class.

Graf, R. J., Thomas, J. B., Beres, B. L., Gaudet, D. A., Laroche, A. and Eudes, F. 2012. Flourish hard red winter wheat. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 183-189. Flourish is a hard red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) eligible for all grades of the Canada Western Red Winter wheat class. Compared with the check cultivars in the Western Winter Wheat Cooperative registration trials (CDC Osprey, AC Bellatrix, Radiant, CDC Buteo), Flourish produced similar grain yield with earlier maturity, shorter straw, improved lodging resistance and higher grain protein content. Flourish displayed winter survival similar to the checks. In the eastern prairie rust hazard region of Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan, Flourish yielded about 5% more grain than CDC Buteo and CDC Falcon, cultivars that are well-adapted and widely grown in the region. Flourish exhibited intermediate resistance to stem and leaf rust combined with moderate resistance to stripe rust and common bunt, a unique combination of disease resistance traits for a western Canadian winter wheat cultivar.

Fowler, D. B. 2012. Moats hard red winter wheat. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 191-193. Moats is a hard red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) that is eligible for grades of the Canada Western Red Winter (CWRW) wheat class. It has excellent stem and leaf rust resistance and higher grain yield and protein concentration than the Central Winter Wheat Cooperative Registration Trial CWRW grain quality check cultivar, CDC Buteo. Its grain yield is similar to the high-yielding Registration Trial check cultivar, CDC Falcon, and lower than Accipiter, which is a more recent high-yielding winter wheat cultivar released in the Canada Western General Purpose wheat class. A suitable combination of grain quality, rust resistance and yield make Moats widely adapted in the winter wheat production area of western Canada.

Fowler, D. B. 2012. Sunrise soft red winter wheat. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 195-198. Sunrise is a high-yielding soft red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivar that is registered in the Canada Western General Purpose (CWGP) wheat class for production in western Canada. The CWGP wheat class was created in 2008 to encourage the development of cultivars to fill the high energy demands of the biofuel and livestock feed markets. The grain yield of Sunrise is similar to the high-yielding hard red and soft white winter wheat cultivars registered in the CWGP class. It has good stem rust, stripe rust, and tan spot resistance and moderate leaf rust resistance. High grain yield potential of low protein concentration grain combined with good agronomic and disease packages make Sunrise a good fit for the CWGP class.

McLeod, J. G., Randhawa, H. S., Ammar, K., Beres, B. L. and Muri, R. B. 2012. Brevis spring triticale. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 199-202. Brevis spring triticale (×Triticosecale Wittmack) is well adapted to the Canadian prairies with high grain yield in each of the soil zones. Brevis has reduced height compared with the check cultivars and excellent lodging resistance. Brevis matures in a similar number of days as Pronghorn and AC Certa and about 3d later than AC Ultima. It combines large heavy seed with test weight equal to that of AC Certa, the best check cultivar. Brevis is resistant to the prevalent races of leaf rust, stem rust and common bunt. Its reaction to Fusarium head blight is moderately susceptible to moderately resistant.

Acharya, S. N. and Steppuhn, H. 2012. Bridgeview alfalfa. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 203-206. Bridgeview salt tolerant alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) was developed by the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Research Centre, Lethbridge, Alberta in cooperation with the salt laboratory at Semiarid Prairie Agricultural Research Centre, Swift Current, Saskatchewan. This synthetic cultivar, tested as SC-A101 in the Western Forage Testing System (WFTest), was developed for improved seedling vigor and high forage yield under saline conditions. This cultivar yielded about 1% better than Beaver check in the WFTest over 36 location years. The pedigree of this cultivar consists of saline tolerant selections from Apica, AC Blue J, Barrier, Beaver, Heinrichs, Rangelander and Roamer alfalfa. This cultivar produced higher dry matter yield than Beaver in the third year of a test conducted in a naturally saline seep area in Vauxhall, AB. SC-A101 was found to perform significantly higher emergence, survival and biomass production than Rangelander alfalfa in an indoor test at salt levels higher than 16 dS m^-8. Bridgeview was registered by CFIA on 2011 May 16 (Reg. No. 7018) and was licensed to SeCan for seed multiplication and distribution. This cultivar is well suited for hay production in western Canada.

Warkentin, T., Kostuik, J., Klassen, E., Barlow, B., Ife, S., Tar'an, B. and Vandenberg, A. 2012. CDC Horizon forage pea. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 207-209. CDC Horizon is a forage pea (Pisum sativum L.) cultivar released in 2010 by the Crop Development Centre, University of Saskatchewan, for distribution to Select seed growers in Saskatchewan and Alberta through the Variety Release Program of the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers. CDC Horizon has a semileafless leaf type, high biomass production, good biomass quality, good seed yield, and resistance to powdery mildew (caused by Erysiphe pisi Syd.). It has superior lodging resistance to the check cultivars Trapper, 40-10 and CDC Sonata, but with slightly greater seed weight than Trapper and 40-10. CDC Horizon had similar lodging resistance and grain yield compared with the field pea check cultivar CDC Minuet. CDC Horizon had similar overall performance to CDC Leroy and CDC Tucker, but with 8-9% greater forage dry matter production, respectively.

Warkentin, T., Vandenberg, A., Tar'an, B., Banniza, S., Bett, K., Barlow, B., Ife, S., Horner, J., de Silva, D., Thompson, M., Parada, M., Wagenhoffer, S. and Prado, T. 2012. CDC Treasure yellow field pea. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 211-213. CDC Treasure, a yellow cotyledon field pea (Pisum sativum L.) cultivar, was released in 2009 by the Crop Development Centre, University of Saskatchewan, for distribution to Select seed growers in Saskatchewan and Alberta through the Variety Release Committee of the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers. CDC Treasure has a semileafless leaf type, good lodging resistance, and medium-sized, round seeds. In the Field Pea Co-operative Registration Test, CDC Treasure was 2 d earlier maturing than Cutlass and 4 d earlier maturing than Eclipse; it was 3% higher yielding than Cutlass and 13% higher yielding than Eclipse. CDC Treasure is adapted to the field pea growing regions of western Canada.

Warkentin, T. D., Vandenberg, A., Tar'an, B., Banniza, S., Bett, K. E., Barlow, B., Ife, S., Horner, J., de Silva, D., Thompson, M., Parada, M., Wagenhoffer, S. and Prado, T. 2012. CDC Pluto small green field pea. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 215-216. CDC Pluto, a green cotyledon field pea (Pisum sativum L.) cultivar, was released in 2010 by the Crop Development Centre, University of Saskatchewan, for distribution to Select seed growers in Saskatchewan and Alberta through the Variety Release Committee of the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers. CDC Pluto has a semileafless leaf type, fair lodging resistance, powdery mildew resistance, small seeds with round shape, good cotyledon bleaching resistance and good yielding ability. CDC Pluto is adapted to the field pea growing regions of western Canada.

Warkentin, T. D., Vandenberg, A., Tar'an, B., Banniza, S., Bett, K. E., Barlow, B., Ife, S., Horner, J., de Silva, D., Thompson, M., Parada, M., Wagenhoffer, S. and Prado, T. 2012. CDC Tetris green field pea. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 217-219. CDC Tetris, a green cotyledon field pea (Pisum sativum L.) cultivar, was released in 2010 by the Crop Development Centre, University of Saskatchewan for distribution to Select seed growers in Saskatchewan and Alberta through the Variety Release Committee of the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers. CDC Tetris has good lodging resistance, powdery mildew resistance, medium-sized seeds with blocky shape, good cotyledon bleaching resistance and good yielding ability. CDC Tetris is adapted to the field pea growing regions of western Canada.