Breeding for improved oil and meal quality in rape (Brassica napus L.) and turnip rape (Brassica campestris L.)

Abstract

The plant breeding in rapeseed is to‐day strongly directed towards improved oil and meal quality. For edible purposes an oil free from erucic and eicosenoic acid, with high linoleic and low linolenic acid content is desirable, while for technical purposes a high erucic acid content is demanded. The combination of the half‐seed and the backcross methods has implied considerable advantages in the breeding work in comparison with the inbreeding method. As a result Gulliver, a high‐yielding, low‐erucic‐acid variety of summer rape, was released in 1977. Removal of the glucosinolates from the rape meal will considerably increase its feed‐stuff value. Besides, a turnover to yellow‐seeded material is advantageous to the exploitation of the low glucosinolate meal as a protein source for human beings. The breeding work has resulted in promising lines of rape and turnip rape low in both erucic acid and glucosinolate content. In summer turnip rape material including also high linoleic acid content and yellow seed colour is built up. © 1978 Mendelian Society of Lund