Rapeseed varieties tested in Xizang's high altitude

Three new rapeseed varieties developed by Northwest A&F University in Shaanxi province are undergoing trials to determine their ability to grow at high altitudes in the Xizang autonomous region.

The rapeseed breeding team, led by Huang Zhen from the College of Agronomy at the university, is testing the new varieties on agricultural land in Lhasa, capital of Xizang, at approximately 3,650 meters above sea level.

The varieties include Xiyou 11, which is traditionally planted in the Yangtze River Basin and the areas between the Yellow River and the Huaihe River.

The new rapeseed varieties have so far demonstrated exceptional adaptability at the high-altitude seed industry base in Chushul county, and outperformed local main cultivar in growth and yield potential, showing the prospect for widespread adoption across the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Huang said.

"Xiyou 11 shows vigorous growth with plump seeds. Expert tests indicate a yield of approximately 4,275 kilograms per hectare, achieving an optimal balance between stress resistance and high yield," said Wang Jinxiong, a researcher at the Xizang Academy of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Sciences.

Huang said Xiyou 11 is an independently bred variety with outstanding traits such as drought resistance, salinity tolerance, high yield and excellent oil quality.

"Rapeseed oil, rich in over 93 percent unsaturated fatty acids, is an ideal staple for high-altitude regions where people require high-energy foods. Its nutritional value for cardiovascular health makes it a premium food resource," Huang said.

Huang's team started research on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in 2012, addressing challenges such as low rapeseed yields and insufficient disease-resistant varieties. By using positional cloning, they identified a key gene, uncovering a novel mechanism for enhancing salt tolerance in rapeseed. In recent years, the team has screened over 30 salt-tolerant rapeseed resources and developed 12 high-performing parent lines, which have been used to produce more than 20 high-yield rapeseed hybrids.

The team has cultivated a series of resilient varieties, including Xiyou 11, Shaanyou 1513 and Shaanyou 168, that are suitable for cold, dry and saline-alkaline regions such as the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, the Ningxia Hui autonomous region and Shaanxi province.

Among them, Xiyou 11, developed by associate researcher Yu Chengyu, has shown exceptional performance.

Wang said the academy is connecting with local agricultural authorities to establish over 10 demonstration farms, each exceeding 6.67 hectares, in Lhasa, Lhokha, Nyingchi and Shigatse for promoting rapeseed cultivation.

Xiyou 11 and other new rapeseed varieties will soon be widely cultivated across the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, opening a new chapter in rapeseed resource innovation and breeding applications, Wang said.