Canola, Rapeseed, and Mustard: For Biofuels and Bioproducts - Industrial Crops: Breeding for BioEnergy and Bioproducts - page 133

GMS Genetic male sterility
HEAR High erucic acid rapeseed
HOLL High oleic, low linolenic
IPGRI International Plant Genetic Resources Institute
LEAR Low erucic acid rapeseed
MSL Male sterile Lembke
NMS Nuclear male sterility
QTL Quantitative trait loci
SHEAR Super high erucic acid rapeseed
SI Self-incompatibility

SRAP Sequence-related amplified polymorphisms

Introduction

Oilseed crops have been grown for thousands of years as sources of edible and
nonedible (industrial) oils for a wide range of end uses including fuels and
bioproducts. Rapeseed was used in India as a source of vegetable oil for edible
and nonedible oil purposes as early as 4000 BC [ 1 ]. Rapeseed oils were initially used
for lighting in oil burning lamps, religious ceremonies, medicinal purposes, cooking
and frying foods, and food seasoning [ 2 ]. Interest in Brassica oilseed crop species
for edible and industrial oils has been due to their high oil content and high-protein
meal left over after oil extraction [ 3 ], because these oilseed species are adapted for
production in temperate climatic zones and able to germinate and grow at low
temperatures [ 4 , 5 ]. Rapeseed/mustard species have moderate to high erucic acid
(22:1 cis Δ 13 ) content in the oil that provides oil characteristics that make it an
excellent lubricant for steam and water-washed surfaces [ 3 ]. However, there were
numerous reports from the 1960s that rapeseed/mustard oil depressed growth in rats
[ 6 ] and a report in 1970 that the erucic acid content in rapeseed/mustard oil caused
heart health problems in rats [ 7 ]. Rapeseed/mustard meal naturally contains high
levels of glucosinolates, plant defense-related secondary metabolic compounds
[ 8 ]. Glucosinolates provide the sharp tasting effect when rapeseed/mustard seed/
meal is eaten. The breakdown products of glucosinolates adversely affect iodine
uptake by the thyroid gland, which can reduce weight gain in animals fed such
meal [ 9 ].
To improve oil and meal quality and enhance the value of the crop, double low
rapeseed (low erucic acid content in the oil and low glucosinolate content in the
meal) varieties in B. napus oilseed rape and B. rapa turnip rape were developed in
Canada in the 1970s [ 10 ]. These double low rapeseed varieties were renamed
“canola” circa 1980. More recently, double low B. juncea mustard varieties have
been developed in Canada [ 11 ]. These new double low mustard varieties are known
as canola juncea varieties in Canada.
Many different fatty acid profiles in canola/rapeseed/mustard for particular end
uses have been developed or are under development [ 12 ]. Canola oil has been used