The Development of Self‐Pollinated Inbred Lines of Meadowfoam by Direct Selection in Open‐Pollinated Populations

Abstract

Limnanthes alba Benth. (meadowfoam) is an allogamous insectpollinated oilseed crop. Poor pollination and pollinator costs have purportedly limited the commercial production of this crop. Production costs can be reduced and seed yields might be increased by using self‐pollinated cultivars. Such cultivars have not been developed for this crop, however. Our objective was to develop self‐pollinated inbred lines by directly selecting for self‐pollination in open‐pollinated meadowfoam populations. A total of 520 S0 progeny from 26 L. alba accessions were screened for self‐pollination in the field under reduced pollinator loads. Sixteen L. alba var. versicolor S0 progeny produced seed in a high percentage of flowers, whereas the other 504 progeny produced seed in a small percentage of flowers. A total of 288 S0 progeny from six L. alba var. versicolor accessions were screened for seeds per plant in a pollinator‐free greenhouse. Forty‐nine of these progeny produced 5 to 48 seeds per plant by self‐pollination. S3 lines were developed by selecting for seeds per plant (in the absence of pollinators) among OMF‐63, OMF‐64, and OMF‐66 S0, S1, and S2 progeny using single‐seed descent. OMF‐63, OMF‐64, and OMF‐66 S3 and OMF‐64 S3 produced significantly more seeds per plant and seeds per flower by self‐pollination than Mermaid, an open‐pollinated L. alba var. alba cultivar. OMF‐63, OMF‐64, and OMF‐66 S3 produced 26.3 to 30.1 seeds per plant and 0.97 to 0.99 seeds per flower, whereas Mermaid produced 3.0 seeds per plant and 0.14 seeds per flower. OMF‐64 S5 lines produced 41.0 to 72.3 seeds per plant and 1.26 to 2.07 seeds per flower, whereas Mermaid produced 2.9 seeds per plant and 0.12 seeds per flower. These self‐pollinated inbred lines should be useful for developing elite self‐pollinated meadowfoam cultivars.