Canola cultivar development

New Traits and New Cultivar Types in Rapeseed and Double-Low Rapeseed (Canola) Cultivar Development... 

Novel herbicide tolerance to a number of broad-spectrum herbicides, including bro-moxynil, glyphosate, glufosinate ammonium, imidolozinones, and triazines, has been added to new rapeseed and double-low rapeseed (canola) cultivars developed and released in Canada in recent years (McVetty and Zelmer 2007). These herbicide... 

BREEDING OF BRASSICA OILSEED SPECIES Canola Cultivar Development... 

Hundreds of additional B. napus and B. rapa double-low rapeseed (canola) cultivars have been developed and released in Canada since the 1970s. These new double-low rapeseed (canola) cultivars have incremental improvements in agronomic performance or seed quality. 

Two additional low-linolenic acid double-low rapeseed (canola) cultivars with incremental improvements in agronomic performance, Apollo (Scarth et al. 1995) and Allons (Scarth et al. 1997), were developed and released by the University of Manitoba. There was limited commercial production of these low-linolenic acid, double-low rapeseed (canola) cultivars in Canada. More recently, high-stability oil double-low rapeseed (canola) cultivars that have low linolenic acid concentrations (<3%) and high oleic acid concentrations (>70%) have been developed. These new high-oleic acid, low-linolenic acid, high-stability oil, double-low rapeseed (canola) cultivars have competitive seed yields and are commercially successful (Canola Council of Canada 2008). 

Rapeseed and double-low rapeseed (canola) cultivars in Canada have traditionally been open-pollinated population cultivars in both B. nap us and B. rapa. More recently, hybrid 5. napus double-low rapeseed (canola) cultivars have been developed and released in Canada. Most of these hybrids are also herbicide tolerant. Nearly 50% of double-low rapeseed (canola) production in Canada in 2005 was of hybrid B. napus types (Brandt and Clayton 2005). This proportion increases annually. 

The need for canola type quality imposes additional difficulties on the development of hybrid rape cultivars. Concentration on quality in Canada and in Europe has resulted in a temporary decrease in the genetic diversity in the new canola cultivars. For this reason the probability of obtaining a satisfactory level of heterosis in the F, of crosses between these varieties is decreased. Thus, it will probably be necessary to find lines that provide high levels of heterosis in certain cross combinations and introduce the quality characteristics into them by backcrossing. The task of producing hybrids with canola quality is formidable and is not likely to be accomplished in less than 10 years. 

The changeover to rapeseed cultivars that produce seed oil low in erucic acid is essentially complete in most European countries. Cultivars low in both erucic acid and glucosinolates are being developed in several European countries. The development of canola cultivars has been somewhat slower in Europe than in Canada due to the necessity of transferring the canola characteristics to highly developed cultivars of winter forms of the crop. Some commercial production of winter canola is expected in Europe in... 

Most of the rapeseed produced in the Orient is of the traditional kind, high in both erucic acid and glucosinolates. Little attention appears to have been given to the development of canola cultivars. Perhaps the need to increase food supplies discourages the deployment of resources for work on quality. Prakash (1980) suggests that alteration of the composition of the oil and meal is one of a number of possible future trends in India. The recent increase in international contacts probably will stimulate the development of canola cultivars in China. 

This chapter begins by describing the characteristics of Brassica oilseed species (BOS) and some important industrial applications of the oils derived from them. Thereafter, the discussion moves to Brassica napus canola/HEAR cultivar development over the last several decades, outlining the contributions made by breeders to the steady incremental improvement in agronomic... 

Semyk and Stefansson, 1982 Grant and Beversdorf, 1985 Brandle and McVetty, 1990) created significant interest in the development of hybrid canola cultivars. The report of significant heterosis for seed yield in HEAR hybrids (Cuthbert et al 2009) created similar interest. 

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