Progress and future development of hybrid rapeseed in China

The hybrid growth of rapeseed now has reached to 4.7×106hm2,accounting for 70 % of total rapeseed growth area in China. Over the last 40 years,the researches and utilizations of hybrid rapeseed in China have significantly contributed to the development of rapeseed industry in China. The production of hybrid rapeseed mainly utilizes cytoplasmic male sterility(CMS),combined at the same time with nuclear male sterility and other pollinating-control systems in China. The hybrid rapeseed studies in China are also characterized by the improvement of quality and oil content in hybrid breeding. Future studies to enhance the heterosis of rapeseed will be focused on several important issues,including the combination of heterosis and ideotype breeding,further increase of oil content in hybrids,utilization of sub-genomic heterosis and resistance improvement. The paper will discuss the following perspectives in hybrid rapeseed studies:relationships among heterosis,quality and disease traits,solutions for excessive source and pool in hybrids compared with open-pollinated cultivars,and the importance of increasing harvest index of hybrids to achieve a better yield in hybrids.