Mutation techniques for oilseed crop breeding in Poland

At present, in Poland as well as in European Union countries double low quality oilseed rape (without erucic acid and with low glucosinolate content) is the major oilseed crop. The seeds are the source of universal oil which is recognized as perfect oil for edible purposes with very well balanced essential fatty acid composition - linoleic and linolenic, and relatively high oleic acid content which allows to use it in the technology of biofuel and other biodegradable material production. However, the market also demands oil with different fatty acid composition. Induced mutagenesis plays significant role in the development of new fatty acid variability in oilseed crops. The aim of investigations was to find optimal conditions of mutagenesis for the increase of variability of polyunsaturated fatty acids in winter oilseed rape and obtainment of mutated lines with high oleic and reduced linolenic acid content. Different conditions of mutagenesis with the use of ethyl methanesulphonate (EMS) were investigated. The mutation with the use of EMS was performed on double low inbred line PN3756/93. After selection in several subsequent generations M2 - M7, two mutants M-10453 and M-10464 with significantly increased oleic acid content (over 75%) and one mutant M-681 with high linoleic and low linolenic acid content (respectively 27,5% and 2,7%) were selected. Five mutants obtained in different EMS treatment conditions performed on another double low line PN 5282/98 and selected in M3 - M6 generations are characterized by increased level of oleic acid (76,2- 81,2%) and reduced linolenic acid content (1,7-3,9%). Significant changes obtained in the content of fatty acids in oil seeds suggest that activity levels of enzymes Δ12 and Δ15 desaturases which influence the content of oleic, linoleic and linolenic acids synthesis undergo considerable damages. It is the effect of mutations in genes fad2 or fad3 (fatty acid desaturase). (author)