Dr. Habibur Rahman Education: Ph.D. in Plant Breeding & Genetics (1988) : Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University (current name, Copenhagen University), Denmark. M.Sc.Ag. in Genetics & Plant Breed. (1982) : Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh. B.Sc.Ag. (Honours) (1980) : Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh. Employment: July 2013 date July 2012 date Nov 2003 June 2013 June 1999 Oct 2003 Jan 1989 May 1999 : Professor and Leader of the Canola program, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada : Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Agriculture, Southwest University, Chongqing, China : Associate Professor and Leader of the Canola program, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada : Senior Breeder (European and North American Canola/Rapeseed Breeding Program), Danisco Seed, Denmark : Canola/Rapeseed Breeder, Danisco Seed, Denmark Some achievements during tenure at the University of Alberta, Canada (2003 2016): Identified Brassica germplasms carrying resistance to Plasmodiophora brassicae pathotypes (causing clubroot disease) that are prevalent in Canada, introgressed resistance into Canadian B. napus canola, and mapped some of the resistance genes and identified molecular markers for use in marker-assisted breeding. Developed the first B. napus canola cultivar carrying two clubroot resistance genes in collaboration with an industry partner. Introgressed earliness of flowering from the C genome of the late-flowering species B. oleracea (Chinese kale) into B. napus canola, and mapped the flowering time genes and established their association with seed yield. Introgressed allelic diversity into Canadian B. napus canola from different exotic gene pools, such as European winter canola, Chinese semi-winter type and Rutabaga, and allied species, such as B. oleracea and B. rapa, and developed a canola cultivar by the use of genetically diverse materials. Contributed to the knowledge of the value of different gene pools for heterosis in spring canola hybrids. Identified the B genome chromosomes of B. carinata that carry resistance to blackleg disease for the introgression into B. napus canola. Developed different fatty acid mutant lines of B. oleracea, including low-linolenic acid (C18:3), and characterized the C18:3 mutations at sequence level for use in the breeding of B. napus canola. Mapped several agronomic and seed quality traits and identified molecular markers for use in marker-assisted breeding.
Developed >120,000 SSR markers from the Brassica A genome for use in breeding. Developed four canola cultivars for commercialization in Canada. Some achievements during tenure at the Danisco Seed, Denmark (1989 2003): Developed (solely or in collaboration with other breeder) >40 winter and spring B. napus canola/rapeseed cultivars for the European and North American markets. Developed a high-oleic acid B. napus line through seed mutagenesis, and developed commercial cultivars by use of this mutant. Developed a yellow-seeded B. napus canola line through introgression of yellow seed colour genes from the A genome of yellow sarson (B. rapa) into the C genome of B. napus. Publications: Published 60 articles in different peer-reviewed journals including Theoretical and Applied Genetics, BMC Genetics, Genome, Genetics, Plant Breeding, Crop Science, Euphytica, Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology, and Canadian Journal of Plant Science. Co-authored a book chapter published by Rockefeller Center, Bellagio, Italy. Selected articles published in refereed journals 1. Rahman H, Bennett RA, Kebede B, 2016. Mapping of days to flower and seed yield in spring oilseed Brassica napus carrying genome content introgressed from B. oleracea. Mol Breed. 2. Hasan MJ, Rahman H, 2016. Genetics and molecular mapping of resistance to Plasmodiophora brassicae pathotypes 2, 3, 5, 6 and 8 in rutabaga (Brassica napus var. napobrassica). Genome 59:805-815. 3. Rahman H, Bennett RA, Yang R-C, 2016. Patterns of heterosis in three distinct inbred populations of spring Brassica napus canola. Crop Sci 56: 2536-2545. 4. Rahman H, 2016. UA AlfaGold Clearfield herbicide-tolerant spring Brassica napus canola developed from winter spring canola cross. Can J Plant Sci (in press). 5. Hobson N, Rahman H, 2016. Genome-wide identification of SSR markers in the Brassica A genome and their utility in breeding. Can J Plant Sci 96: 808-818. 6. Fredua-Agyeman R, Rahman H, 2016. Mapping of the clubroot disease resistance in spring Brassica napus canola introgressed from European winter canola cv. Mendel. Euphytica 211:201 213. 7. Rahman H, Bennett RA, Ginette S-S. 2015. Broadening genetic diversity in Brassica napus canola: Development of canola quality B. napus lines from B. napus B. oleracea var. alboglabra interspecific cross. Can J Plant Sci 95:29-41. 8. Singer S, Weselake RJ, Rahman H, 2014. Development and characterization of a low α- linolenic acid Brassica oleracea lines bearing a novel mutation in class a FATTY ACID DESATURASE 3 gene. BMC Genetics 15:94. 9. Fredua-Agyeman R, Coriton O, Huteau V, Parkin IAP, Chèvre A-M, Rahman H. 2014. Molecular cytogenetic identification of B genome chromosomes linked to blackleg disease resistance in Brassica napus B. carinata interspecific hybrids. Theor Appl Genet 127:1305 1318.
10. Kebede B, Rahman H. 2014. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping of silique length and petal color in Brassica rapa. Plant Breed 133, 609 614. 11. Rahman H, Kebede B, Zimmerli C, and Yang R-C. 2014. Genetic study and QTL mapping of seed glucosinolate content in the Brassica A-genome, B. rapa L. Crop Sci 54:537 543. 12. Rahman H, Peng G, Yu F, Falk KC, Kulkarni M, Selvaraj G. 2014. Genetics and breeding for clubroot resistance in Canadian spring canola (Brassica napus L.). Can J Plant Path 36 (S1): 122 134. 13. Rahman H, Harwood J, Weselake R, 2013. Increasing seed oil content in Brassica species through breeding and biotechnology. Lipid Technology 25:182-185. 14. Rahman H, 2013. Review: Breeding spring canola (Brassica napus L.) by the use exotic germplasm. Can J Plant Sci 93:363-373. 15. Rahman H, Singer SS, Weselake RJ, 2013. Development of low linolenic acid Brassica oleracea lines through seed mutagenesis and molecular characterization of the mutants. Theor Appl Genet 126:1587 1598. 16. Kebede B, Cheema K, Greenshields DL, Li C, Selvaraj G, Rahman H, 2012. Construction of genetic linkage map and mapping of QTL for seed color in Brassica rapa. Genome 55: 813 823. 17. Bennett RA, Séguin-Swartz G, Rahman H, 2012. Broadening genetic diversity in canola (Brassica napus L.) using the C-genome species B. oleracea. Crop Sci 52:2030-2039. 18. Hasan MJ, Strelkov SE, Howard RJ, Rahman H, 2012. Screening of Brassica germplasm for resistance to Plasmodiophora brassicae pathotypes prevalent in Canada for broadening diversity in clubroot resistance. Can J Plant Sci 92:501-515. 19. Rahman MH, Bennett RA, Yang R-C, Thiagarajah MR, 2011. Exploitation of the late flowering species Brassica oleracea L. for the improvement of earliness in B. napus L. an untraditional approach. Euphytica 177:365 374. 20. Navabi ZK, Stead KE, Pires JC, Xiong Z, Sharpe AG, Parkin IAP, Rahman MH, Good AG. 2011. Analysis of B-genome chromosome introgression in interspecific hybrids of Brassica napus B. carinata. Genetics 187:659-673. 21. Rahman H, Shakir A, Hasan MJ. 2011. Breeding for clubroot resistant spring canola (Brassica napus L.) for the Canadian prairies: Can the European winter canola cv. Mendel be used as a source of resistance? Can J Plant Sci 91:447-458. 22. Navabi ZK, Parkin IAP, Pires CJ, Xiong Z, Thiagarajah MR, Good AG, Rahman MH. 2010. Introgression of B-genome chromosomes in a doubled haploid interspecific population of Brassica napus B. carinata. Genome 53:619-629. 23. Navabi ZK, Strelkov SE, Good AG, Thiagarajah MR, Rahman MH 2010. Brassica B-genome resistance to stem rot (Sclerotinia sclerotium) in a doubled haploid population of Brassica napus Brassica carinata. Can J Plant Path 32:237-246. 24. Kebede B, Thiagarajah MR, Zimmerli C, Rahman MH, 2010. Improvement of openpollinated spring rapseed (Brassica napus L.) through introgression of genetic diversity from winter rapeseed. Crop Sci 50:1236-1243. 25. Weselake RJ, Taylor DC, Rahman MH, Shah S, Laroche A, McVetty PBE, Harwood JL, 2009. Increasing the flow of carbon into seed oil. Biotechnology Advances 27:866-878. 26. Rahman MH, Falk KC, Yang R-C, 2009. Inheritance of susceptibility to ethametsulfuron herbicide muster in summer turnip rape (Brassica rapa L.). Crop Sci 49:819-824.
27. Bennett R, Thiagarajah MR, King JR, Rahman MH. 2008. Interspecific cross of Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra and B. napus: Effects of growth condition and silique age on the efficiency of hybrid production, and inheritance of erucic acid in the self-pollinated backcross generation. Euphytica 164:593-601. 28. Mahmood T, Rahman MH, Stringam G, Yeh F, Good A. 2007. Quantitative trait loci for early maturity and their potential in breeding for earliness in Brassica juncea. Euphytica 154, 101-111. 29. Mahmood T, Rahman MH, Stringam G, Yeh F, Good A. 2006. Identification of quantitative trait loci (QTL) for oil and protein contents and their relationships with other seed quality traits in Brassica juncea. Theor Appl Genet 113, 1211-1220. 30. Yang RC, Thiagarajah MR, Bansal VK, Stringam GR, Rahman MH. 2006. Detecting and estimating segregation distortion and linkage between glufosinate tolerance and blackleg resistance in Brassica napus L. Euphytica 148, 217-225. 31. Mahmood T, Rahman MH, Stringam GR, Yeh F, Good A. 2005. Molecular markers for yield components in Brassica juncea do these assist in breeding for high seed yield? Euphytica 144, 157-167. 32. Mahmood T, Rahman MH, Stringam GR, Raney PJ, Good AG. 2005. Molecular markers for seed color in Brassica juncea. Genome 48, 755-760. 33. Rahman MH, 2004. Resynthesis of Brassica napus for self-incompatibility: Selfincompatibility reaction, inheritance and breeding potential. Plant Breeding 124, 13-19. 34. Rahman MH, 2004. Optimum age of siliques for rescue of hybrid embryos from crosses between Brassica oleracea, B. rapa and B. carinata. Can J Plant Sci 84:965-969. 35. Hill J, Lethenborg P, Li PW, Rahman MH, Sørensen H, Sørensen JC, 2003. Inheritance of progoitrin and total aliphatic glucosinolates in oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.). Euphytica 134: 179-187. 36. Rahman MH, 2002. Fatty acid composition of resynthesized Brassica napus and trigenomic Brassica void of genes for erucic acid in their A genomes. Plant Breed 121: 357-359. 37. Rahman MH, 2001. Production of yellow seeded Brassica napus through interspecific crosses. Plant Breed 120: 463-472. 38. Rahman MH, Joersbo M, Poulsen MH, 2001. Development of yellow seeded Brassica napus of double low quality. Plant Breed 120: 473-478. 39. Rahman MH, 2001. Introgression of alleles of the isozymic locus glucosephosphate isomerase (GPI-2) from the CC genome of Brassica carinata to the CC genome of B. alboglabra and their independent segregation from seed colour. Plant Breed 120: 363-364. 40. Rahman MH, 2001. Inheritance of petal colour and its independent segregation from seed colour in Brassica rapa. Plant Breed 120: 197-200.
Teaching: PLSc 365: Genetic Improvement of Crop Plants (undergrad course, Fall term). AFNS 565: Plant Breeding (graduate course, Fall term) AFNS 601: Seminar in Plant Science (graduate course, Fall term) Supervision (current): PhD student = 2 MSc student = 5 Research Associate = 2 Postdoctoral Fellow = 1 Research Assistant/Technician = 4