Canola, Rapeseed, and Mustard: For Biofuels and Bioproducts - Industrial Crops: Breeding for BioEnergy and Bioproducts - page 132

Chapter 7
Canola, Rapeseed, and Mustard: For Biofuels
and Bioproducts

Peter B.E. McVetty and Robert W. Duncan

Abstract Brassica species have been used as sources for edible and nonedible oil
for thousands of years. These species include Brassica carinata , B. juncea ,
B. napus , B. nigra , and B. rapa . Currently, canola, rapeseed, and mustard oilseed
species are the third largest source of vegetable oil globally. Production of B. juncea
and B. rapa occurs in warmer semitropical regions of the world, while B. napus is
produced in cooler temperate regions. Most of the canola/rapeseed/mustard breed-
ing achievements have been associated with oil and/or meal quality, including the
development of low erucic acid rapeseed B. napus , high erucic acid rapeseed in
B. napus , and high oleic, low linolenic B. napus . A reduction in glucosinolates in
B. napus and B. rapa occurred almost simultaneously to the reduction of erucic acid
to create double low rapeseed, renamed canola in Canada. Significant breeding
effort is directed to increasing seed yield; enhancing yield stability; improving seed
quality, oil quality, and meal quality; as well as herbicide tolerance and resistance
to abiotic and biotic stress. Breeding strategies now focus on doubled haploid line
development and hybrid development because of significant heterosis for seed
yield. Pollination control systems for hybrid development include cytoplasmic
male sterility, genetic male sterility, nuclear male sterility, and self-incompatibility.
Genomic strategies and marker-assisted selection have been successfully incorpo-
rated into Brassica breeding. Brassica oils compete with fossil oils in the biofuel
and bioproduct markets, and further Brassica breeding advancements are required
to meet the quantities and quality necessary for successful biofuel/bioproduct
production.

Keywords Canola • Rapeseed • Mustard • Brassica napus • Brassica rapa •
Brassica juncea • Oil quality • Erucic acid • Hybrid

Abbreviations

CGIAR Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research

CMS Cytoplasmic male sterility