New gene technology could help Canadian canola cope with extreme weather

As climate change brings more frequent heat waves and drought, Canadian researchers are testing gene technology that could help crops better withstand environmental stress.

One of those projects is underway at Kingston-based Performance Plants, where scientists are developing new canola varieties designed to better tolerate heat and drought while increasing the amount of carbon stored in the soil.

The research is one of nine projects selected for HARVEST, a new agri-tech business accelerator funded by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and managed by Ontario Genomics.

The program provides participating companies with up to $750,000, along with business mentorship and support to help bring new agricultural technologies closer to commercialization.

“These technologies are designed to help improve the economics of Canadian agriculture while lessening environmental impact,” said Mike Dorrington, director and head of food and industrial biotechnology at Ontario Genomics.

The work comes as farmers face growing challenges from climate change, while governments and industries look for ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“There’s a confluence of it being the right time. We are seeing these issues like climate change, the need to reduce greenhouse gas burden, new regulations for exports of goods from Canada,” Dorrington said.

At Performance Plants, researchers are focusing on “precision breeding,” identifying naturally occurring genes that help plants respond to environmental stress and enhancing those traits.

While the company is now applying the technology to canola, the approach could have broader applications, said Jiangxin Wan, president and chief technology officer at Performance Plants.

“We are ready to apply all these strategies into crops. Canola is the most important crop in Canada. This is a good opportunity for us to jump on this,” Wan said.

The company is working with a seed producer to incorporate the technology into existing seed varieties rather than developing entirely new ones.

“The beauty of this canola project is we have a partner, a seed company,” she said. “We just add our technology into their seeds and add this tech as they grow.”

Researchers say more testing is still needed before the technology sees widespread use, but they hope it could eventually give farmers more tools to cope with increasingly unpredictable growing conditions.