Genetic Analysis of Reducedγ-Tocopherol Content in Ethiopian Mustard Seeds

Abstract

Ethiopian mustard (Brassica carinataA. Braun) line BCT-6, with reducedγ-tocopherol content in the seeds, has been previously developed. The objective of this research was to conduct a genetic analysis of seed tocopherols in this line. BCT-6 was crossed with the conventional line C-101 and theF1,F2, and BC plant generations were analyzed. Generation mean analysis using individual scaling tests indicated that reducedγ-tocopherol content fitted an additive-dominant genetic model with predominance of additive effects and absence of epistatic interactions. This was confirmed through a joint scaling test and additional testing of the goodness of fit of the model. Conversely, epistatic interactions were identified for total tocopherol content. Estimation of the minimum number of genes suggested that bothγ- and total tocopherol content may be controlled by two genes. A positive correlation between total tocopherol content and the proportion ofγ-tocopherol was identified in theF2generation. Additional research on the feasibility of developing germplasm with high tocopherol content and reduced concentration ofγ-tocopherol is required.