Canola is Australia’s third most valuable crop and is also the most important break crop for Australian wheat production.  The physiological framework for crop yield improvement in many crops is generally well established and has been used to direct R&D approaches to improve water-limited yield potential for some time; however, understanding and application varies between crops. In wheat for example, the key drivers are well understood and have been manipulated for yield improvement in different target production environments, whereas canola which is a younger crop in Australia in comparison, the key drivers for WLYP are not so well understood.

Through this investment we want to define the canola genetic factors that impact on growth in the critical period and what influences seed number and size in target production zones. For example, an understanding of the role and production of water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) in the plant and their availability during the critical period for movement to the seed may be of importance to improving the ratio of biomass to seed yield, or harvest index (HI). Whilst determining the genetic factors that impact growth, seed number, size and quality in the critical period it will also be important that there is an understanding of how agronomic practices may impact these traits.