Breeding of Spring Turnip Rape in Western Siberia

Abstract

The biological, climatic potential, and soil conditions for territory of Western Siberia are suitable for cultivating cruciferous oil crops (rapeseed and turnip rape). Oil crops are widely used for human nutrition, feeding livestock, many industries, medicine, and perfumery. The oil contains unsaturated fatty acids (oleic, linoleic, and linolenic), which are essential in human nutrition. Increase in productivity is the main goal in turnip rape breeding; much attention is paid to oil increase in seeds and improvements of oil quality (low content of glucosinolates in seeds and the absence of erucic acid in the oil). Brief characteristics of zoned turnip rape varieties are given: productivity (seed yield, oil content, and oil yield) and fatty acid composition of oil. It has been shown that the created varieties have a high adaptability to severe Siberian conditions and resistance to the main environmental factors.