Canola was created by two Canadian researchers, Baldur Rosmund Stefansson and Richard Keith Downey.
The Creators of Canola
The development of modern canola, distinct from traditional rapeseed, is attributed to the collaborative work of two dedicated scientists in Canada. According to the provided reference, the specific traits that define canola today were the result of research conducted by:
- Baldur Rosmund Stefansson
- Richard Keith Downey
Working together, Stefansson and Downey were instrumental in identifying and developing the first plants of Brassica napus (rapeseed) that contained significantly lower levels of erucic acid, a compound found in traditional rapeseed oil that was considered undesirable for human consumption in large quantities.
Key Researchers
| Name | Contribution | Affiliation (Typical) |
|---|---|---|
| Baldur Rosmund Stefansson | Co-identified low erucic plants in Brassica napus | University of Manitoba |
| Richard Keith Downey | Co-identified low erucic plants in Brassica napus | Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada |
Note: Affiliations listed are typical but their collaboration spanned institutions.
The Development Process
Traditional rapeseed (Brassica napus and Brassica rapa) contains high levels of erucic acid in its oil and glucosinolates in its meal, which made it less suitable for food and animal feed. Stefansson and Downey focused on breeding techniques to naturally reduce these undesirable compounds.
Their breakthrough involved identifying and selectively breeding plants with naturally occurring mutations that resulted in:
- Low Erucic Acid: Significantly reducing erucic acid content in the oil.
- Low Glucosinolates: Lowering the glucosinolate content in the solid meal left after oil extraction, making it more useful as animal feed.
This process, which began in the 1960s, led to the development of cultivars that were officially registered and trademarked as "Canola" (derived from "Can" for Canada and "ola" for oil low acid) in 1978 by the Rapeseed Association of Canada. Thus, canola is not a genetically modified organism in its original development but was created through conventional plant breeding.
Their pioneering work transformed rapeseed from a crop with limited uses into a major edible oil and animal feed crop globally.
