Development of simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers in Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz

Camelina sativa is an oilseed plant that belongs to the Brassicaceae family. Camelina was widely grown in Europe and Russia until the 1940s for the production of vegetable oil but later on higheryielding crops displaced camelina. Recently, interest in C. sativa has been renewed in some parts of North America and Europe due to its high content of unsaturated fatty acids suitable for the production of soap, varnish, and biofuel. In fact, the oil contained in its seeds is very rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids such as linolenic acid (35% - 45%), linoleic acid (15% - 20%), and a low proportion of erucic acid (1% - 3%). It is also rich in antioxidants such as tocopherols, which confers stability towards oxidation. Camelina in comparison to other oilseed plants, has a very short life cycle (85-100 days) and is one of the most economical plant to grow thanks to minimal input requirements1. For this reason C. sativa can grow on marginal lands avoiding competition with food crops. These properties, together with its low nutrient demand, potentially make the production of C. sativa oil cheaper than oils from traditional crops such as soybean, sunflower and rapeseed. Despite its potential, the main limitation in camelina use is the lack of agronomic knowledge as well as the limited information about the genetic diversity of available germplasm. For this reason, a better knowledge of camelina genetics becomes incumbent.