Grants and Contributions:

Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year. (2017-2018 to 2018-2019)

Developing oilseeds with enhanced protein and nutritional qualities could revolutionize oilseed/meal utilization and functionality in Canada. Brassica meal has historically been a by-product and utilized only for animal feed, even though it has very similar available energy compared to soybean meal. This provides an immense opportunity to expand the utilization of Canada’s most important crop . The Canadian canola industry contributes $19.3 billion to the economy annually; only about $525 million of this is composed from meal production and utilization. This value could grow several fold if high-quality protein products were developed for use in human food products . Cruciferin and napin are the two main seed storage proteins found in canola meal. Each of these have specific functional properties with cruciferin acting as an excellent emulsifying, gelling and binding agent. Napin provides strong solubility, the ability to form transparent solutions, foaming properties and excellent nutritional value. If the mechanisms and genes controlling seed storage protein type were known, genotypes high in cruciferin and/or high in napin could be developed and utilized in specialty food products . My research group will determine the mechanisms regulating cruciferin and napin content, discover the quantitative trait loci controlling these traits and find out the impact of changing cruciferin and napin content on seed quality traits in Brassica napus . Due to the lack of emphasis on protein quality and quantity in Brassica meal, this is a completely underexplored area of science . This information will significantly advance the understanding of the compensatory mechanism governing the inverse relationship between oil and protein content. Furthermore, this genetic insight will provide the resources necessary to tailor Brassica genotypes for use in specialty, high-value protein products . These developments will ultimately benefit plant geneticists, plant breeders, farmers, rural communities, seed processors, food processors and add significant value to the entire Canadian economy. Within this program, my research group and collaborators will provide a unique, integrated educational venue for training graduate students in plant breeding, genetics and genomics. Integrated training in these areas is critical to the development of Agriculture in Canada, as Canada’s capacity to produce highly qualified personnel with expertise in these areas is not meeting the current demand.