Poznań Division

Department of Oilseed Crops

Head of Department: Katarzyna Mikołajczyk, DSc
Phone: (+48) 61 823 37 21; (+48) 61 84 64 221
E-mail: k.mikolajczyk@ihar.edu.pl

Deputy Head of Department: Alina Liersch DSc
Phone: (+48) 61 84 64 201
E-mail: a.liersch@ihar.edu.pl

The Research Center of PBAI-NRI in Poznań is the only centre in Poland that carries out comprehensive studies on oil plants, especially winter oilseed rape - the most important oil-protein plant in Poland, as well as mustard and flax. Both, research and implementation work is carried out:

1. ‘Pre-Breeding’ – production of new winter rapeseed, white mustard and oil flax lines with high seed and oil yields, resistant to biotic and abiotic stresses and possessing the economically valuable quality traits. Comprehensive research on new genotypes in field trials, in multiply repeated experiments in different environments, focusing on G x E x M interactions.
2. Extension of the gene pool of the double-low winter oilseed rape by introduction of new, unique sources of variation through the resynthesis of rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) using the ancestral diploid species, B. oleracea and B. rapa (Figure 1.).
3. Creation of mapping populations of DH lines to study the genetic determination of selected traits and to select valuable genotypes for the production of breeding materials.
4. Creation of a collection of rapeseed lines with cabbage cytoplasm with increased resistance to pathogens using the method of crossing between rapeseed and other Brassica species (Brussel sprouts, kale, fodder cabbage, Brassica taurica).
5. Study of the effects of biotic and abiotic stresses in field and laboratory experiments; implementing new analytical methods and quick tests for the most important oilseed rape diseases and pathogens, as stem canker, Alternaria, clubroot, Turnip yellows virus TuYV.    
6. Improvement of winter oilseed rape production technology, optimization of nitrogen and sulphur fertilization; verification of the existing map of sowing dates due to global warming;  
7. 'Marker Assisted Breeding' – development and implementation of DNA markers into the breeding programs as a tool for selection of new oilseed rape varieties (Figure 2.).
8. Use of developed DNA markers to monitor homozygous and heterozygous rapeseed forms with Rfo restorer gene as well as the presence of male-sterile cytoplasm for the cultivation of hybrid varieties using the CMS ogu-INRA system; identification of homozygous high-oleic acid and low linolenic acid (HOLL) genotypes for these rapeseed forms.
9. Study of the population structure and genetic distance within rapeseed genotypes for research and selection purposes (Figure 3.).
10. QTL mapping, association mapping and genome analysis of oil plants using molecular markers (SNP, SSR) and Next Generation Sequencing to develop markers for polygenic traits.
11. Biochemical analysis of oilseed rape seeds, testing of the content and composition of glucosinolates and fibre in the meal, determination of the protein and fat content of the seeds, and the analysis of fatty acid composition in the oilseed rape oil.

Application achievements:

• 2016 r. – entering into the National COBORU Register the first Polish population variety of winter oilseed rape in the HO type (high oleic) - 'POLKA', with a high (over 79%) C18: 1 oleic acid content in seed oil. The changed proportion of 18-carbon fatty acids, increased fat content to 47.1%, high protein content (21.2% in dry matter of seeds) and low content of glucosinolates (11.9 µM g-1 of seeds) make POLKA an interesting raw material for the fat and feed industry; authors: dr hab. Stanisław Spasibionek, prof. dr hab. Iwona Bartkowiak-Broda, prof. dr hab. Jan Krzymański, dr Barbara Byczyńska;
• 2020 - handing over to the HR Strzelce Sp. z o.o. Grupa IHAR of five breeding lines of winter oilseed rape obtained by interspecific crossing. The lines are characterized by increased resistance to pathogens of fungal origin; authors: dr hab. Michał Starzycki, prof. IHAR, dr eng. Elżbieta Starzycka-Korbas;
• 2020 - handing over to the HR Strzelce Sp. z o.o. Grupa IHAR of 50 winter oilseed rape DH lines characterized by resistance to infection with the parasitic protozoan Plasmodiophora brassicae Wor. causing the clubroot disease. The lines were created and defined in terms of phenotype and genotype as a result of the implementation of the NCN HARMONIA project No. 2016/22/M/NZ9/00604 (2017-2020); authors from the IHAR - PIB: dr hab. Katarzyna Mikołajczyk, MSc Joanna Nowakowska, prof. dr hab. Iwona Bartkowiak-Broda;
• 2021 - handing over to the HR Strzelce Sp. z o.o. Grupa IHAR of three semi-RS DH lines with the Rfo restorer gene as paternal components for breeding hybrid varieties; authors: prof. dr hab. Teresa Cegielska-Taras, dr hab. Laurencja Szała, dr hab. Alina Liersch;
• 2022 - adoption of the white mustard variety POH 320 (PN 258) for the second year of COBORU registry research, proposed name 'Teriva'. Oil-protein variety, doubly improved; nematocidal properties in sugar beet crops; authors: prof. dr hab. Iwona Bartkowiak-Broda, mgr Teresa Piętka, mgr inż. Magdalena Walkowiak;
• Use of allele-specific CAPS markers (Figure 2.) to identify mutations in the BnaA.FAD2 gene of high oleic acid winter rapeseed genotypes (including POLKA cultivar); Author: Dr. Marcin Matuszczak;
• Use of specific genetic test to identify homo- and heterozygous genotypes with the Rfo restorer gene in oilseed rape F1 hybrid breeding with the use of the CMS ogura-INRA male sterility system; performing analyzes as part of research services for companies: the HR Strzelce Sp. z o.o. Grupa IHAR and the HR Smolice Sp. z o.o. Grupa IHAR; author from the IHAR - PIB: dr hab. Katarzyna Mikołajczyk.
• Use of functinal DNA markers to identify the allelic variability of mutated and non-mutated FAD 3 desaturase genes in the A and C genomes of oilseed rape (B. napus) in recurrent selection; identification of homozygous low-linolenic genotypes as part of research services for the project: "Development of oilseed rape variety characterized by high seed oil content and changed proportion of fatty acids in seed oil” financed by the Oilseed Crops Promotion Fund (from 2019, till now); author from IHAR - PIB: dr hab. Mikołajczyk.

The Most Important Awards

The research work of the team working at the Department of Oilseed Crop of the IHAR - PIB in Poznań was and is appreciated also by the Ministry of Agriculture, which is reflected in the awards received. They indicate milestones in the research and cultivation of oilseeds:

• 1988, State Team Award, 2nd degree for “The cultivation of double-low varieties of winter oilseed rape”;
• 2000, Award of the Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry for “The introduction into production of two new low-morphine poppy varieties with a morphological marker of flower petals";

Awards of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development:

• 2003, for "Development and implementation of new types of winter oilseed rape varieties - complex hybrids"
• 2009, for "Implementation of a new technology for breeding winter oilseed rape varieties based on doubled haploid (DH) lines and obtaining the first variety in Poland in this way";
• 2012, for "Development of a method of breeding hybrid varieties of restored winter oilseed rape supported by molecular markers and implementation into practical breeding";
• 2013, for "Production of qualitatively improved varieties of white mustard (Sinapis alba L.) - as an alternative spring oil-protein plant and implementing them for practical use".

 2010, The Division of the IHAR in Poznań received the honorary badge for “Merit for the province of the Greater Poland" awarded by the Board of the province of the Greater Poland for lifetime achievements in the research and development in the field of breeding and cultivation of oilseeds and disseminating research results and implementing them into agricultural practice in Greater Poland and in the country.

Offer of laboratory and research services:

1. Biochemical analyses (contact: m.ebertowska@ihar.edu.pl):
   • qualitative analysis of glucosinolates content by gas chromatography;
   • qualitative analysis of fatty acid content by gas chromatography;
   • Near Infra-Red Spectroscopy, NIRS, analysis of glucosinolates, protein, (NDF, ADF), fat, and water;
   • spectrometric analysis of morphine in poppycapsules;
   • preparation of standards for the analysis of glucosinolates - glucotropeoline, sinigrin, sinalbin.
2. Development of DH lines from winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) genotypes delivered at place (contact: l.szala@ihar.edu.pl).
3. Genetic analyses with DNA markers (contact: k.mikolajczyk@ihar.edu.pl):
   • extraction of total DNA from plant tissue;
   • screening for the presence of the Rfo restorer gene and the ogura male-sterile cytoplasm among the F1 hybrids, the Rfo restorer lines, and the ogura CMS oilseed rape lines using the ‘Multiplex PCR’ assay for the ogura-INRA CMS;
   • monitoring the presence of the homo- and heterozygous genotypes of oilseed rape with the Rfo restorer gene using the ‘qPCR_Rfo’ assay;
   • using the CAPS marker for identification of the high oleic acid winter rapeseed genotype associated with the mutation in the BnaA.FAD2 gene (also detectable in the POLKA cultivar) (Figure 2.);
   • detection of the mutated alleles of the oilseed rape BnaA.FAD3 and BnaC.FAD3 genes resulting in the low linolenic acid content in seed oil by using the SNaPshot assay;
   • determining the genetic diversity among oilseed rape breeding lines with the use of microsatellite markers, SSR (Figure 3.).

Ongoing research projects:

• NCN Miniatura (15.12.2021-14.12.2022) No 2021/05/X/NZ2/01787: "Phenotypic analysis of two populations of doubled haploids of winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) for the study of genetic factors responsible for the protein content of seeds". The person responsible: dr Marcin Matuszczak.
• PBwPR (2021-2026), Task No 26, IHAR-PIB 3-1-00-3-03: "Research on increasing the yielding capacity of winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) cultivars by using the sources of resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses and broadening the genetic variability." Leader of the project: dr hab. inż. Alina Liersch.
• DC, Task 3.7 (2022): „Production of starting materials for the breeding of new varieties of flax with improved quality and increased resistance to Fusarium spp. and drought.” The person responsible: dr hab. inż. Stanisław Spasibionek.
• DC, Task 3.6 (2022): „Production of rapeseed starting materials resistant to Turnip Yellows Virus (TuYV)”. The person responsible: dr inż. Elżbieta Starzycka-Korbas.
• DC, Task 4.2. (2022): „Identification and development of new national unit indicators and sustainable production methods for the purposes of environmental protection and counteracting climate change in agriculture. Oil plants.” The persons responsible: dr hab. Marek Wójtowicz and dr hab. Franciszek Wielebski.

Research work financed by the Oilseed Crops Promotion Fund:

• Task 1: "Production of a winter oilseed rape variety with a high fat content and changed proportions of fatty acids" - stage III of the research. Task Manager: dr hab. inż. Stanisław Spasibionek;
• Task 2: „Improving the fodder value of protein in oilseed rape seeds ”- stage III of the research. Task Manager: mgr Joanna Wolko;
• Task 3: „Increasing the value and amount of protein in oilseed rape - research on a new form of winter oilseed rape "- stage III of the research. Task Manager: prof. dr hab. Iwona Bartkowiak-Broda.
• Resolution No. 1/2022 of the Management Committee of the Oilseed Crops Promotion Fund of January 31, 2022 on the Financial Plan of the Oilseed Crops Promotion Fund for 2022 (https://bip.kowr.gov.pl).

Publications:

• Walkowiak M., Spasibionek S., Krótka K. (2022) Variation and genetic analysis of fatty acid composition in flax (Linum usitissimum L.). Euphytica, 218:2; https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-021-02941-6;
• Wielebski F., Wójtowicz M., Liersch A. (2022) Response of new forms of winter oilseed rape with modified fatty acid composition to nitrogen and sulfur fertilization. Journal of Plant Nutrition, https://doi.org/10.1080/01904167.2022.2027974 
• Marasek-Ciolakowska, A.; Kamiński, P.; Podwyszyńska, M.; Kowalska, U.; Starzycki, M.; Starzycka-Korbas, E. (2022) Effect of Meiotic Polyploidisation on Selected Morphological and Anatomical Traits in Interspecific Hybrids of Brassica oleracea × B. napus. Agronomy, 12, 26. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12010026
• Bocianowski J., Liersch A. 2021. Multi-environmental evaluation of winter oilseed rape genotypic performance using mixed models. Euphytica, 217:80. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-020-02760-1;
• Gacek K., Bayer P.E., Anderson R., Severn-Ellis A.A., Wolko J., Łopatyńska A., Matuszczak M., Bocianowski J., Edwards D., Batley J. (2021) QTL genetic mapping study for traits affecting meal quality in winter oilseed rape (Brassica Napus L.). Genes, 12, 1235. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12081235;
• Kopeć P., Mikolajczyk K., Jajor E., Perek A., Nowakowska J., Obermeier C., Chawla H., Korbas M., Bartkowiak-Broda I., Karlowski W. M. (2021) Local Duplication of TIR-NBS-LRR Gene Marks Clubroot Resistance in Brassica napus cv. Tosca. Frontiers in Plant Science 12:63963; https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2021.639631;
• Łopatyńska A., Bocianowski J., Cyplik A., Wolko J. (2021) Multidimensional analysis of diversity in DH lines and hybrids of winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.). Agronomy, 11, 645. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11040645;
• Starzycka-Korbas E., Weber Z., Matuszczak M., Bocianowski J., Budzianowski G, Stefanowicz M., Starzycki M.  (2021) The diversity of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary isolates from western Poland. J Plant Pathol 103, 185–195.
• Szała L., Kaczmarek Z., Wójtowicz M., Sosnowska K., Cegielska-Taras T. (2021) Genetic variability in oilseed rape DH line population developed from F1 hybrids obtained by crossing black-and yellow-seeded DH lines. I. yield and yield components. Euphytica, 217:99. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-020-02745-0;
• Spasibionek S., Mikołajczyk K., Ćwiek–Kupczyńska H., Piętka T., Krótka K., Matuszczak M., Nowakowska J., Michalski K., Bartkowiak-Broda I. (2020) Marker assisted selection of new high oleic and low linolenic winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) inbred lines revealing good agricultural value. PLoS ONE 15(6): e0233959. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0233959;
• Liersch A., Bocianowski J., Nowosad K., Mikołajczyk K., Spasibionek S., Wielebski F., Matuszczak M., Szała L., Cegielska-Taras T., Sosnowska K., Bartkowiak-Broda I. (2020) Effect of genotype × environment interaction for seed traits in winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.). Agriculture 10(12), 607;
• Sosnowska K., Majka M., Majka J., Bocianowski J., Kasprowicz M., Książczyk T., Szała L., Cegielska-Taras T. (2020) Chromosome instabilities in resynthesized Brassica napus revealed by FISH. Journal of Applied Genetics 61(3): 323-335. DOI: 10.1007/s13353-020-00557-5;
• Matuszczak M., Spasibionek S., Gacek K., Bartkowiak-Broda I. (2020) Cleaved amplified polymorphic sequences (CAPS) marker for identification of two mutant alleles of the rapeseed BnaA.FAD2 gene. Molecular Biology Reports 47(10): 7607–7621. https://doi.org/10..007/s11033-020-05828-2;
• Szała L., Sosnowska K., Cegielska-Taras T. (2020) Induced chromosome doubling in microspores and regenerated haploid plants of Brassica napus. Acta Biologica Cracoviensia Series Botanica 62(1):23-31;
• Wolko J., Dobrzycka A., Bocianowski J., Szała L., Cegielska-Taras T., Bartkowiak-Broda I., Gacek K. (2020) Genetic variation of traits affecting meal quality in black x yellow seeded doubled haploid population of winter oilseed rape. Agronomy Research 18(3): 2259-2270. https://doi.org/10.15159/AR.20.209;