THE INHERITANCE OF ERUCIC ACID CONTENT IN RAPESEED ( BRASSICA CAMPESTRIS )

Abstract

Reciprocal crosses were made between a plant of Brassica campestris L. containing no erucic acid in its seed oil and two plants of the Indian varieties Yellow and Brown Sarson grown from seed containing approximately 59% erucic acid. The erucic acid content in the oil from F 1 embryos was intermediate between the parents indicating embryonic control of the synthesis of this acid. Seed oil analysis of F 2 , F 3 , and backcross populations supported the hypothesis that erucic acid synthesis is controlled by a single non-dominant gene. Analysis of oil extracted from immature and partially germinated seed showed that erucic acid content was highest in fully matured non-germinated seed.