Oil-quality enhancement of rapeseed mustard significance, achievements and future challenges

Abstract

Concerns about the detrimental health effects of trans fatty acids have led to a growing interest in using trans-free natural vegetable oils for deep frying food. Studies pointing towards health benefit of mustard oil have inclined consumers towards its use in domestic cooking. The widening gap between demand and supply of mustard oil has to be curtailed. At present enormous foreign exchange is being utilized in importing Canola oil. Canola-quality Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) is being developed as a complimentary oilseed crop to canola (Brassica napus). Successful breeding of six Canola quality at IARI, New Delhi and a few by PAU, Ludhiana, have been able to thwart the biggest challenge of combining the double low characteristics with good yielding capability, all of which are quantitative traits governed by multiple recessive genes. The oil that has been made qualitatively superior for human consumption, is a rich source of protein.