Doubled haploid lines of Brassica carinata with modified erucic acid content through mutagenesis by EMS treatment of isolated microspores

Brassica carinata is a potential oilseed crop for the Mediterranean area. Chemical mutagenesis has been applied to microspores of B. carinata with the purpose of identifying lines with altered erucic acid content. From a population of nearly 400 doubled haploid plants recovered, nine lines have been identified that exhibit promising useful changes in erucic acid concentration in the seed oil. Three lines showed erucic acid contents below 25%, with a minimum of 17.1%. and in six lines the level of this fatty acid was greater than 52%. Changes in other fatty acids are also described and discussed.