Pre-harvest sprouting is a serious problem in wheat production worldwide. It can causes considerable losses in terms of grain yield and quality. The use of the marker-assisted selection at the seedling stage can increase the efficiency of selection for pre-harvest sprouting resistance and will shorten the time for cultivar development. The objectives of this study are 1) to develop DNA markers linked to genes for resistance to pre-harvest sprouting (PHS). 2) to use available markers to do marker assisted selection in a backcross breeding program; 3) to pyramid different resistant genes into one cultivar.
Value of the Opportunity (issue, results, outcomes)/Valeur ajoutée de l’opportunité (problème, résultats, retombées):
ECORC will provide stuents with an well-equipped lab plus modern greenhouses and growth cabinets to carry out research projects; Students are welcome to bring their own materials for study; Students will be encouraged to publish their research findings.
D – Describe the qualifications needed (academic, study, knowledge, skills, experiences, etc.), and the benefits to the candidate /Décrire les qualifications requises (études, connaissances, compétences, expériences, etc) et les avantages pour les candidats
1) The applicants should be registered Ph.D. students; 2) The students should have knowledge of genetics and molecular genetics; 3) Experience in molecular technology such as DNA extraction, PCR and electrophoresis, plus computer skills for QTL analysis is essential; 4) The sudents should have good English skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing.
OPPORTUNITY/OPPORTUNITÉ ID:
2011_Ottawa_08
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PROPOSAL TITLE/TITRE DE LA PROPOSITION : Effect of soil and crop management on sustainability of soil productivity
A – Identification
Type of Candidate (check one or more)/Type de candidats (choisir un ou plusieurs) :
Graduate students / étudiants des cycles supérieurs:
- Ph.D.
Visiting Scientist from a university or a research organisation/Chercheur visiteur provenant d’une université ou d’un organisme de recherche.
Visitor expected length of stay at AAFC, specify number of months (minimum and/or maximum)/
Durée prévue du séjour du visiteur à AAC, spécifier le nombre de mois (minimum et/ou maximum) :
12-24
Start date must be before March 31, 2012/
Date impérative de début du séjour avant le 31 mars 2012, specify/spécifier :
Research location in Canada / Lieu de la recherche au Canada :
Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research Centre
Website : http://www.agr.gc.ca/science
City/Ville, Province :
Ottawa, Ontario
Contact:
Neil McLaughlin
Email/Courriel : neil.mclaughlin@agr.gc.ca
Phone/Téléphone : 1-613-759-1534
B – The Research Team/ L’équipe de recherche
AAFC Supervisor/Superviseur à AAC : Dr. Neil McLaughlin, Research Scientist
Other AAFC scientists/Autres chercheurs d’AAC : Drs. Craig Drury, Dan Reynolds and Xueming Yang, AAFC Harrow
University partners/Partenaires universitaires : Dr. Ying Chen, University of Manitoba, Dr. Claude Laguë, University of Ottawa
Industry partners/Partenaires industriels : Kongskilde
C – Proposal Description/ Description de la proposition
Objective/Objectif :
To determine the effect of soil and crop management on soil attributes which contribute to the sustainability of soil productivity.
Description:
The student/scientist will work on soils and tillage aspects of existing long term multidisciplinary field rotation experiments in Ottawa and Harrow ON designed to study the effect of tillage, crop rotation and organic and inorganic amendments on crop performance and soil attributes. The student/scientist will conduct new measurements or analyze existing data from these experiments. Existing tillage energy data for the field experiments provide a unique opportunity to determine the effects of soil and crop management on tillage energy and to investigate the use of tillage implement draught measurements as an indicator of soil health. The student/scientist will write one or more scientific papers on the work.
Value of the Opportunity (issue, results, outcomes)/Valeur ajoutée de l’opportunité (problème, résultats, retombées):
Value: Soil degradation is a serious problem in most countries, and results in loss of soil productivity. Traditional practices of intensive tillage and monoculture crop production leads to loss in soil organic matter and increased soil strength making it more difficult for crop roots to penetrate the soil to reach nutrients. The project will contribute to an understanding of the interaction of soil and crop management on soil parameters such as organic matter and soil strength which are key to maintaining soil productivity.
Outcome expected: The project will result in a better understanding of the interaction of tillage, organic amendments, cropping strategies and soil attributes. This will contribute to development of best management practices (BMP) for sustainable crop production systems in both countries.
D – Describe the qualifications needed (academic, study, knowledge, skills, experiences, etc.), and the benefits to the candidate /Décrire les qualifications requises (études, connaissances, compétences, expériences, etc) et les avantages pour les candidats
Qualifications: The student or scientist must have training in agriculture crop production, be familiar with agricultural machinery and field cultural practices, and must be willing to work in an agricultural field environment.
Benefits to the student/scientist: The student/scientist will have the opportunity to work in a multidisciplinary environment with engineers and soil and crop scientists, learn about field experimental methods, data analysis, manuscript writing, and western agriculture.
Dr. McLaughlin has many years experience working with soil and crops scientists, and he provides a unique engineering and machinery perspective to soils and crops field experiments in Canada, and recently, in China. Dr. McLaughlin is an excellent teacher, and actively seeks out opportunities for students to learn. He has extensive editorial experience, and has helped many graduate students develop writing skills. The student/scientist will have the opportunity to interact with research personnel, farmers, and the general public and learn English and western culture.
OPPORTUNITY/OPPORTUNITÉ ID:
2011_Ottawa_15
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PROPOSAL TITLE/TITRE DE LA PROPOSITION :
Phylogeny and Typing of plant pathogenic species/pathovars of Pseudomonas using Multilocus Sequence Analysis
A – Identification
Type of Candidate (check one or more)/Type de candidats (choisir un ou plusieurs) :
Graduate students / étudiants des cycles supérieurs:
- Master’s or equivalent /
Maîtrise ou équivalent
- Ph.D.
Visiting Scientist from a university or a research organisation/Chercheur visiteur provenant d’une université ou d’un organisme de recherche.
Visitor expected length of stay at AAFC, specify number of months (minimum and/or maximum)/
Durée prévue du séjour du visiteur à AAC, spécifier le nombre de mois (minimum et/ou maximum) :
24
Start date must be before March 31, 2012/
Date impérative de début du séjour avant le 31 mars 2012, specify/spécifier :
October 31, 2011
Research location in Canada / Lieu de la recherche au Canada :
Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research Centre (ECORC)
Website : http://www.agr.gc.ca/science
City/Ville, Province :
Ottawa, Ontario
Contact:
James T. TAMBONG
Email/Courriel : james.tambong@agr.gc.ca
Phone/Téléphone : 1-613-715-5398
B – The Research Team/ L’équipe de recherche
AAFC Supervisor/Superviseur à AAC : Dr. James T. Tambong, (Molecular Bacterial Taxonomist)
Other AAFC scientists/Autres chercheurs d’AAC : Martin Lanthier (Environmental Microbiologist)
University partners/Partenaires universitaires : Prof. Monica Hofte (Gent University, Belgium)
Industry partners/Partenaires industriels :
C – Proposal Description/ Description de la proposition
Objective/Objectif : to characterize species ofplant pathogenic Pseudomonas using MLSA; and identifying unique DNA barcodes or signatures for development of taxonomic and diagnostic tools.
Value of the Opportunity (issue, results, outcomes)/Valeur ajoutée de l’opportunité (problème, résultats, retombées):
Plant pathogenic bacteria incite devastating agricultural diseases worldwide, causing massive annual economic losses. Decades of research in molecular taxonomy and pathogen detection and surveillance have permitted significant advances in agricultural practices, including widespread use of innovative early detection and identification tools to prevent the establishment and spread of disease. Research at ECORC improved taxonomic understanding of the bacterial genus Pseudomonas, led to the development of the first TaqMan real-time PCR and Miniprimer PCR assays for reliable and more sensitive detection of Pantoea stewartii. Bacteria that attack plants continue to adapt and thrive, resulting in a significant increase in the rate of emergence of new diseases. The agricultural sector can anticipate new threats due to global climate change. Between 2007 and 2010, at least 3 new plant pathogenic bacterial species were reported. It is important that the taxonomy of these plant pathogenic bacteria is up to date to enable scientists to identify new genotypes that could inflict serious yield reductions to agricultural crops. In addition, the taxonomy of plant pathogenic Pseudomonas (e.g. P. syringae) is in a confused state. Some pathovars previously classified within P. syringae were elevated to species level. This needs to be clarified given that pathovars of this species attack over 50 different plants. Characterization and understanding of plant pathogenic bacteria with novel molecular technologies provide a transformative opportunity for global agriculture. Methodologies of molecular databases/diagnostics that are being developed are far more portable than traditional morphological identifications. It is, thus, of global interest to understand the phylogeny of plant pathogenic Pseudomonas, leading to the development of rapid and reliable molecular taxonomic and diagnostic tools.
Expected Outcomes: Gain insight of molecular phylogenetic tools used for identification of plant pathogenic bacteria. Potential development of assay for differentiation of pathovars of Pseudomonas syringae, an important bacterial pathogen of agricultural crops.
D – Describe the qualifications needed (academic, study, knowledge, skills, experiences, etc.), and the benefits to the candidate /Décrire les qualifications requises (études, connaissances, compétences, expériences, etc) et les avantages pour les candidats
Qualifications: At least, Masters of Science degree in biology or microbiology. Ability to read and write in English.
Benefits to student. Gain practical insight of molecular tools used to determine bacterial taxonomy and phylogeny with applications in the development of rapid detection tools.
