A new yellow-seeded canola genotype originating from double low black-seeded Brassica napus cultivars

Abstract

A new source of yellow-seeded Brassica napus canola has been identified in doubled haploid progeny, from a cross between the two black-seeded spring cultivars, Star and Bolero. Six yellow-seeded doubled haploid lines were extracted from the F1 generation of this cross. The yellow-seeded doubled haploid lines and some of their progeny showed differences in yellow seed colour expression in different temperature environments, among the 11 lines investigated. Similar populations of plants grown in daily maximum temperatures of 20, 28 and over 30°C showed increasing seed yellowness in the hot temperature and were darker in colour in the cool environments. Oil quality and fatty acid profiles were compared between yellow and dark seeded pairs. Although percent oil showed no overall trend in direction of change, oleic acid increased on average by 10%, while linolenic acid decreased by 5% under warmer growing conditions. Glucosinolate levels were stable between the yellow-seeded and dark-seeded pairs grown in either hot or cool temperatures. The yellow-seeded inbreds retained canola quality. Preliminary inheritance ratios suggest that this trait might be governed by fewer than three genes, and PCR analysis indicates that different genes may be involved here than those for the yellow-seeded genotypes previously published, which were derived from interspecific crosses. Key words: Brassica napus, yellow seed, temperature, oil quality