Advances in Botanical Research

Rapeseed is an important oilseed crop belonging to Crucifereae family and grown in subtropical to temperate climate. Recent discoveries have caused the scientific community to respond positively by directing a greater amount of research towards increasing production and improving the quality of rapeseed oil. Today, the annual worldwide production is approximately 7.5 million tons on 4 million acres. Canola ranks 5th in the production of world's oilseed crops following soybean, sunflower, groundnut and cottonseed. Rapeseed Breeding fully explains the miraculous discoveries about the genetic material which have contributed to the growth of this important crop. With contributions from world-renowned researchers from North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, this book provides the first scientific reference for scientists interested in the further exploitation of this important crop. This book presents history, origin and evolution, breeding methods, practical applications of DNA markers, fingerprinting of cultivars, and conservation of rapeseed germplasm. It includes details of different breeding purposes including breeding for improved oil and meal quality, breeding for winter hardiness, breeding for herbicides, and breeding for hybrid rape. It also provides analysis of ecology, usage, degeneration and application.