SELECTION ON POLLEN FOR LINOLENIC ACID CONTENT IN RAPESEED, BRASSICA-NAPUS L

In order to enhance the economic value of edible rapeseed oil, an impr ovement of quality is necessary. Mutagenesis of rapeseed resulted in a low linolenic acid content and a low 'linolenic acid (C18:3) level to linoleic acid (C18:2) level' ratio, that is, the linoleic desaturatio n ratio (LDR), in the seeds of the Canadian variety 'Stellar'. As an e arly breeding marker for low linolenic acid content, the pollen fatty acid composition was determined on 80 doubled haploid plants derived f rom a single F-1 hybrid obtained from a cross between 'Stellar' and a high C18:3 variety 'Drakkar'. Fatty acid analysis on seed and pollen s howed that the low C18:3 and the low LDR traits from the 'Stellar' var iety were expressed in pollen and in seeds, and that a very close corr elation (r = 0.88) existed between seed and pollen for these two trail s. Thr inheritance of these traits is controlled by two major genes wi th additive effects; both in seed and pollen. However. minor genes als o appeared to be expressed in pollen and seed. These genes may allow t he production of plants with lower C18:3 levels than that of the low l inolenic acid content parent. The efficiency of this new tool for earl y screening in breeding programmes is discussed.