Inheritance of Increased Oleic Acid Concentration in High‐Erucic Acid Ethiopian Mustard

In comparison with canola oil, zero‐erucic acid Ethiopian mustard (Brassica carinata A. Braun) oil is characterized by a low concentration of the monounsaturated oleic acid and high concentrations of the polyunsaturated linoleic acid and linolenic acid. Because of the low oxidative stability of oils rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, the increase of oleic acid concentration in zero‐erucic acid Ethiopian mustard is needed. Increased oleic acid concentration is currently available only in high erucic acid backgrounds. The objective of the present research was to study the inheritance of increased oleic acid concentration in the high‐erucic acid Ethiopian mustard mutant N2‐3591. The mutant was reciprocally crossed with the high‐erucic acid line C‐101, with the standard composition of C18 fatty acids. Partial maternal and cytoplasmic effects for oleic acid concentration were observed in the analysis of F1 seeds and F1 plants, respectively, from reciprocal crosses. Standard oleic acid concentration in C‐101 was partially dominant over increased oleic acid concentration in N2‐3591. Oleic acid concentration of F2 seeds segregated following a 3:1 (standard–intermediate: increased) ratio, suggesting monogenic inheritance. This was confirmed in the BC1 to N2‐3591, which segregated following a 1:1 (intermediate: increased) ratio. The separation of the standard and intermediate oleic acid classes was not possible, probably because of the partial dominance of standard over increased oleic acid concentration. The monogenic inheritance of increased oleic acid levels in the high‐erucic acid N2‐3591 line will facilitate the transfer of this trait to zero‐erucic acid Ethiopian mustard germplasm.