Oilseeds and Heterosis

Three crop species, soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], rapeseed (Brassica rapa L. syn. B. campestris L. and Brassica napus L.), and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), account for approximately 78% of world vegetable oil production. Heterosis of these crops has been exploited to increase seed yield only over the past few decades. Utilization of heterosis has allowed sunflower to become the major oilseed in many countries of Eastern and Western Europe, Russia, and South America, and is an important crop in the USA, Australia, South Africa, China, India, and Turkey. Hybrid vigor has been the main driving force for acceptance of the sunflower. Heterosis is becoming increasingly important in rapeseed. The yield potential of single‐cross hybrids has attracted considerable interest from growers in Canada, Australia, Europe, and Argentina. Significant heterosis derived from hybrids of soybean has encouraged researchers to investigate the feasibility of producing hybrid soybean on a commercial scale.