Formation of brassica napus F1 hybrid seeds which exhibit a highly elevated oleic acid content and a reduced linolenic acid content in the endogenously formed oil of the seeds

A process for producing F1 hybrid Brassica napus seeds comprising:

• (a) planting in pollinating proximity parent plants (i) and (ii), wherein parent (i) is a Brassica napus plant possessing solely in either the A-genome or the C-genome a homozygous modified FAD-2 gene pair obtained by mutagenesis that results in an elevated oleic acid production in the endogenously formed oil of the seeds formed thereon which exceeds that of the ‘Profit’ variety, which possesses an unmodified FAD-2 gene pair by at least 14 percent by weight based upon the total fatty acid content under the same growing conditions;
• and at least one homozygous modified FAD-3 gene pair obtained by mutagenesis that results in a reduced linolenic acid production in the endogenously formed oil of the seeds formed thereon of no more than 3 percent by weight based upon the total fatty acid content, and wherein parent (ii) is a Brassica napus plant possessing in each of the A-genome and the C-genome a homozygous modified FAD-2 gene pair obtained by mutagenesis that results in an elevated oleic acid production in the endogenously formed oil of the seeds formed thereon which exceeds that of the ‘Profit’ variety, which possesses an unmodified FAD-2 gene pair, by at least 20 percent by weight based upon the total fatty acid content and forms oleic acid in the endogenously formed oil of said seeds in a greater concentration than parent (i) under the same growing conditions;
• and a homozygous modified FAD-3 gene pair obtained by mutagenesis that results in a reduced linolenic acid content in the endogenously formed oil of the seeds formed thereon of no more than 3 percent by weight based upon the total fatty acid content;
• (b) growing Brassica napus plants resulting from said planting of step (a);
• (c) preventing self-pollination of the plants of parent (i);
• (d) transferring pollen between said parent (ii) and said parent (i);
• and
• (e) harvesting F1 hybrid seeds produced on plants of parent (i) that produce Brassica napus plants that upon self-pollination form seeds possessing an endogenously formed vegetable oil having an oleic acid concentration of at least 80 percent by weight and which exceeds that of parent (i), and a linolenic acid concentration of no more than 3 percent by weight, and wherein said resulting F1 hybrid seeds when planted produce a crop in a yield that exceeds that of parent (i) and parent (ii) when each is pollinated by a pollen source possessing a genotype substantially the same as that of each parent plant and is grown under the same conditions.