CARMAN, Man. (Staff) – A team of researchers at the University of Manitoba is hoping to transfer genes from nasturtium and meadow foam plants into rapeseed to increase levels of erucic acid.
Rachael Scarth, who is working with Peter McVetty and Roger Rimmer on the project, said high erucic acid rapeseed can be used for lubricants, plastics, replacements for metal parts and fuel.
The five varieties released by the team since the early 1980s have levels up to 50 percent. But Scarth said adding genes from the two other plants will boost these levels.
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“I don’t know the limit. It hasn’t been done yet, so it’s still a question mark about what the limit is for rapeseed,” Scarth said.
The two varieties called Neptune and Venus were registered earlier this year and are also low in glucosinolates. This means the meal can be used for livestock feed.
She said although the varieties have a slightly lower yield than conventional canola, they are getting a good reception from farmers because they have early maturity, good disease resistance and are grown on contract for a guaran-teed market.
