BREEDING FOR MODIFIED FATTY-ACID COMPOSITION VIA EXPERIMENTAL MUTAGENESIS IN CAMELINA-SATIVA (L.) CRTZ

Camelina sativa (L.) Crtz. is a potential oil crop for non-food indust rial applications. Seeds of the German C. sativa cultivar Lindo were m utagenically treated with ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) in order to mod ify the fatty acid composition in the seed oil and to select mutants w ith either reduced or increased linolenic acid (C18:3) content, respec tively. The M-2-generation was evaluated for fatty acid composition by gas chromatography and it could be shown that variation in fatty acid composition has been broadened in comparison to the controls. The ana lysis of single plant progenies again showed in some cases a higher li nolenic acid content in the M-3-generation, i.e. 39.1% linolenic acid (average of cv. Lindo 29.9%). Whether or not these elevated contents a re genetically stable must be verified in the subsequent generations. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.