The origins of quality rape breeding
Quality oilseed rape breeding begins
1968
During screening trials in Canada, it was discovered that the summer oilseed rape variety LIHORAPS contained a mutant that was free of erucic acid. In order to obtain erucic-acid-free winter oilseed rape varieties in Germany as quickly as possible, Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Röbbelen, who teaches at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences in Göttingen, came up with the idea of founding the Göttingen Working Group for Quality Oilseed Rape Breeding. This was founded in 1968 with the participation of the DSV.
DSV intensified its work. The aim was to crossbreed the erucic-acid-free summer oilseed rape variety LIHONOVA into the winter oilseed rape variety SONNENGOLD. However, the yield performance of these varieties was not satisfactory. Therefore, it was strategically decided to focus the work on the second quality level of the so-called double-zero varieties, which are both erucic- acid and glucosinolate free.
That this decision was correct was shown by the success of the registration of the first double-zero rape variety LIBRADOR in the Descriptive List of Varieties in 1981.
Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Gerhard Röbbelen