Pod Shatter Performance in Canola: Advances from BrettYoung Seeds and DL Seeds 

This article explores pod shatter resistance in canola, featuring insights from Eric Gregory, Director of Marketing at BrettYoung Seeds and Dr. Janice Duguid, Senior Canola Breeder at DL Seeds. The focus is on the development, breeding and field performance of pod shatter-resistant canola hybrids as well as recent product innovations. 

Pod Shatter Resistance Benefits 

• Improved harvest outcomes: Growers achieve better harvest success with pod shatter-resistant hybrids.   
• Flexibility for delayed swathing: These hybrids allow for later swathing, giving farmers more harvest options.   
• Prevention of yield loss: The trait helps guard against the loss of valuable yield due to shattering.   

Breeding Advances at DL Seeds 

Dr. Janice Duguid is the Senior Canola Breeder at DL Seeds in Morden, Manitoba. Her work focuses on developing a new pipeline of canola hybrids with: 

• Multi-gene clubroot resistance: The breeding program targets resilience against clubroot with multiple genes.   
• Multi-gene blackleg resistance: There is also a focus on high-level protection from blackleg disease.   

Pod Shatter Trait Development 

DL Seeds has invested years in developing improved pod shatter resistance. Their approach includes: 

• Screening germplasm: They search for natural variation in pod shatter through comprehensive screening.   
• European trait introduction: A new trait developed in Europe by a shareholder was integrated.   
• Trait transfer from winter to spring canola: The pod shatter resistance was moved from winter to spring canola types.   

The newly developed trait stands out because: 

• Non-GMO status: The trait is not a genetically modified organism.   
• Non-PNT classification: It does not fall under the category of plants with novel traits.   
• Natural origin: The trait comes from a naturally occurring canola relative in Western Canada.   

How the Trait Works 

The pod shatter resistance trait from DL Seeds: 

• Specific pathway targeting: It targets the biological pathway responsible for pod shattering.   
• Weather and machinery resilience: Canola with this trait withstands wind, rain and combining.   
• Prevents yield loss: Helps growers keep more of their yield safe from shattering.   

Field Performance and Product Pipeline 

Results and Upcoming Features 

• Competitive resistance: DL Seeds’ resistance is comparable to other industry options.  
• New combined resistance products: Future hybrids will feature multi-gene blackleg and clubroot resistance.   

BrettYoung Seeds Innovations: PodDefendR® 

BrettYoung has enhanced its DefendR® lineup: 

• 2021 introduction: PodDefendR® debuted as a new pod shatter tolerance solution.   
• Market-level performance: These hybrids are created to compete with the best pod shatter protection.   

Stay Updated 

For more updates on pod shatter resistance and new canola hybrids, continue to visit brettyoung.ca. 

Key Takeaways 

• Major harvest benefit: Pod shatter resistance improves canola harvesting and overall yield.   
• Natural, non-GMO advances: DL Seeds and BrettYoung use non-GMO, natural traits for resistance.   
• Strong results in the field: Newly released canola hybrids are showing very positive field results.   
• PodDefendR available now: BrettYoung’s PodDefendR options offer growers the latest in pod shatter tolerance.   

Thank you for reading and staying informed about pod shatter performance in canola. 

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