Milestone will result in speeding up of research and breeding programs

Rapeseed/canola genome sequenced

SiuWah Wu (left) and Jeremy Klassen at the new canola research center of Bayer CropScience in Saskatoon, Canada.

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SiuWah Wu (left) and Jeremy Klassen at the new canola research center of Bayer CropScience in Saskatoon, Canada.

Bayer CropScience, together with several partners, has sequenced for the first time the entire genome of canola and its constituent genomes present in turnip rape and wild cabbage. This provides Bayer with a unique level of insight into the previously unknown genetic code of the canola plant. Canola is the second largest oilseed crop after soybeans, accounting for approximately 15 percent of world production, and is cultivated primarily in North America.

“This milestone achievement demonstrates Bayer’s ongoing commitment to be a leader in the oilseed crop production business,” said Bart Lambert, Head of Research for Oilseeds at Bayer CropScience in Ghent, Belgium. “This will allow us to speed up our current research and breeding programs so that these will bring new technology and better products to growers much sooner.” The company can now explore many more innovative approaches to continue enhancing the value of canola as a crop.

In the summer of 2009, Bayer CropScience inaugurated a new innovation center in Saskatoon, Canada, dedicated to researching, developing and breeding canola seed. The complex is one of the few such facilities worldwide.