Status and perspectives of breeding for enhanced yield and quality of oilseed crops for Europe

Vegetable oils are a high-value agricultural commodity for use in refined edible oil products and as renewable industrial or fuel oils, and as the world population increases demand for high-quality seed oils continues to grow. Worldwide the oilseed market is dominated by soybean (Glycine max), followed by oilseed rape/canola (Brassica napus). In Europe the major oilseed crop is oilseed rape (B. napus), followed some way behind by sunflower (Helianthus annuus) and other minor crops like linseed (Linum usitatissimum) or camelina (Camelina sativa). The seed oil of these crops is characterized by a specific quality, i.e. fatty acid composition and other fat-soluble compounds: Camelina and linseed oils are characterised by high contents of linolenic acid (C18:3); in sunflower very high-oleic (up to 90% C18:1) types exist in addition to classical high-linoleic (C18:2) oilseeds; in B. napus a broad diversity of oil-types is available in addition to the modern 00 (canola) type, e. g. high-erucic acid rapeseed or high-oleic and low-linolenic cultivars. Moreover, vegetable oils contain valuable minor compounds such as tocopherols (vitamin E). Increases of such contents by breeding have lead to value-added edible oils. After oil extraction, oilseed meals-such as rapeseed extraction meal-contain a high-quality protein that can be used as a valuable animal feed. However, in comparison to soybean the meal from oilseed rape also contains relatively high amounts of anti-nutritive fibre compounds, phenolic acids, phytate and glucosinolates. Breeding efforts with respect to meal quality are therefore aimed at reduction of anti-nutritive components, while increasing the oil content, quality and yield also remains a major aim in oilseed rape breeding. This review article provides a general overview of the status of oilseed production in Europe and uses examples from winter oilseed rape to illustrate key breeding aims for sustainable and high-yielding production of high-quality vegetable oil. Emphasis is placed on analytical tools for high-throughput selection of overall seed quality.