Introgression in Brassica napus for adaptation to the growing conditions in Bangladesh

Summary

Among the oleiferous Brassicas, B. napus has the highest seed and oil productivity. As it is a species adapted to the temperate regions, its spring type is either unable to flower or flowers too late in the short — day winter (rabi) season of the subtropics. B. napus (genome AACC) is an amphidiploid between B. campestris (AA) and B. oleracea (CC), and shares one genome with the other allotetraploids B. juncea (AABB) and B. carinata (BBCC). While B. napus lacks ecotypes adapted to the subtropics, the other four species are well represented in this climatic zone. Reciprocal crosses with or without one direct backcross to B. napus have been carried out with the intention of transfering short-day adaptability. The aim was to introgress the A genome of carefully selected early representatives of B. campestris and B. juncea with the corresponding genome in B. napus, and similary the C genome from B. oleracea and B. carinata with the analogous genome in B. napus. B. campestris, B. juncea and the clearly later species, B. oleracea var ‘alboglabra’ and B. carinata, seem to be almost equally effective in introgressing the appropriate earliness necessary for growth in Bangladesh. One backcross sligthly delayed segregation of early types. Convergent crosses did not result in the transgression of earliness, which was unexpected since the inheritance of flowering and maturity indicated a polygenic regulation. This result is partly explained by assuming dominant oligogenic control of the photoperiodic response. Introgression of earliness with the C genome doesn't seem to be necessarily related with the earliness of the donor species. Intergenomic interactions may be important. Interesting new lines were selected with high yield. Thus there is a good probability that Bangladesh will have a new oil crop. As these lines were observed to be early in Sweden as well, they could potentially push rapseed cultivation further north in temperate regions where the growing period is limited by short summers.