Canada
June 18, 2026
Dr. Bourlaye Fofana and his team, along with Chilean researchers have uncovered flaxseed genes that could help the plant thrive with less nitrogen fertilizer, the first step in developing new and sustainable flaxseed varieties for farmers.
Canadian and Chilean research scientists have unearthed a remarkable discovery that supports the flaxseed breeding world! Thanks to Dr. Bourlaye Fofana from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and former AAFC student Dr. Braulio Soto-Cerda, now at the Universidad Católica de Temuco in Chile, we now know which genes help flaxseed to grow stronger with less nitrogen, and why it will benefit farmers and the environment.
Flaxseed, also known as flax or linseed, is a small brown or golden oilseed full of healthy omega-3 fatty acids, fibre, and lignans. It is considered a "superfood" that can improve digestion, lower cholesterol, and manage blood sugar. Canadian farmers are among the highest producers of flaxseed in the world.
Like many agricultural crops, flaxseed relies on nitrogen fertilizer, as well as suitable soil, adequate moisture, and sunlight to grow. Nitrogen fertilizer is costly for farmers and can pose environmental risks when excess nitrogen enters a nearby waterway through runoff. It can also be released as a greenhouse gas if a crop doesn’t fully absorb it. This raises an important challenge; how can we develop flaxseed varieties that can grow strong with less nitrogen? Dr. Fofana and collaborating researchers have started to answer this question by mapping out how flaxseed roots and shoots react at both the physical and genetic level when nitrogen is limited. These insights give plant breeders valuable clues about which genes and traits are linked to nitrogen efficiency.
Flaxseed, also known as flax or linseed, is a small reddish-brown or golden oilseed full of healthy omega-3 fatty acids and fibre. Canadian farmers are among the highest producers of flaxseed in the world.
Root resilience: the secret to success
At the Charlottetown Research and Development Centre, Dr. Fofana maintains a collection of flaxseed germplasm or genetic materials like seeds, plant tissues, and DNA sequences. He and Dr. Soto-Cerda compared two types of flaxseed seedlings grown under normal and low nitrogen conditions: a nitrogen efficient type that naturally grows well even when nitrogen is scarce, and a nitrogen inefficient type that struggles to grow under the same conditions. The nitrogen efficient seedling types showed higher shoot and root biomass and even expanded their root systems under nitrogen deficiency. To understand how the flaxseed plant responded this way, the team examined which genes switched on or off in the roots during nitrogen stress and how these changes contributed to stronger root systems in the nitrogen efficient types.
"The root system is like the plant’s nervous system. Crops that grow more extensive and flexible roots can find and use more nitrogen available in the soil. If you can find the genes that support better root systems that can dig deeper in the soil when less nitrogen is available, that is very helpful for breeders.”
- Dr. Bourlaye Fofana, research scientist, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Using cutting-edge biotechnology, the team identified over 1,000 genes that changed their activity in response to nitrogen stress. The differences in performance between the seedling types were linked to genes associated with nitrogen absorption and transport, root development, and antioxidant response.
At the front line of the breeding pipeline, Dr. Fofana and his collaborator’s work sheds light on the genetic mechanisms linked to nitrogen efficiency. This will help breeders target their efforts in selecting flaxseed germplasm and variety development. Ultimately, this could help in the development of flaxseed varieties that require less fertilizer, helping farmers reduce costs while lowering environmental impacts.
Cultivating the future
The research doesn’t end here. Field trials will be the next step to test the nitrogen-efficient flaxseed germplasm on real farms to ensure that these lab findings translate to practical solutions for farmers.
“Farming is about adapting. From the soil to genetics, every challenge is an opportunity to innovate. And with flaxseed genomics and breeding, we’re starting to hit the ‘root’ of the solution.”
- Dr. Bourlaye Fofana, research scientist, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
The ongoing research collaboration between AAFC and Chilean scientists has proven to be very successful in the breeding world. Along with their recent flaxseed research, they previously uncovered genes in smaller diploid potatoes that could help in breeding future common scab disease-resistant and drought-resistant potato varieties. With these discoveries in hand, Canada is inching closer to advancing sustainable agriculture, proving that planting even the smallest seeds can lead to big achievements.
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