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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Maricopa, Arizona » U.S. Arid Land Agricultural Research Center » Plant Physiology and Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #194138
Title: REGISTRATION OF WCL-L03 HIGH OIL LESQUERELLA FENDLERI GERMPLASM

Author
item Dierig, David
item Dahlquist, Gail
item Tomasi, Pernell

Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/21/2006
Publication Date: 8/9/2006
Citation: Dierig, D.A., Dahlquist, G.H., Tomasi, P. 2006. Registration of wcl-l03 high oil lesquerella fendleri germplasm. Crop Science. 46(4):1832-1833.

Interpretive Summary: New breeding lines and cultivars are needed to increase profitability of new alternative oilseed crops, such as lesquerella, to penetrate industrial markets. Early stages of commercialization for many new crops are often associated with poor financial returns. Higher yielding crop plants contribute to the stabilization of a new crop in the marketplace. We developed a new breeding line of lesquerella with 10 % higher oil content than the best previously grown line. It also had higher seed yield and a higher ratio of seed to amount of plant matter produced, also known as ‘harvest index’. This new plant line should benefit producers interested in lesquerella for emerging industrial markets, growers, new crop entrepreneurs, and extension agents and researchers.

Technical Abstract: Lesquerella [Lesquerella fendleri (A. Gray) S. Watson] germplasm line WCL-LO3 was released in 2005 by the Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Water Conservation Laboratory, Phoenix, AZ. WCL-LO3 had improved oil content, harvest index, and seed yield compared to previously released germplasm lines. This germplasm should be suitable for geographic regions similar to the arid southwestern United States. Plants were developed through mass selection with seed originating from WCL-LY2 (Dierig et al., 2001).