Five new colors enhance rapeseed flower appeal

Ornamental rapeseed has gained increasing attention in recent years for its economic and social value. In several regions across China, including Wuyuan in Jiangxi province, Hanzhong in Shaanxi province, Luoping in Yunnan province and Jingzhou in Hubei province, rapeseed tourism has become an important driver of local economic growth.

Field demonstrations of the colorful varieties have been conducted at more than 10 rural tourism sites, where the plants have shown strong performance and visual impact, Fu said.

The team has also partnered with more than 300 scenic areas across 233 counties countrywide to promote cultivation and scientific management of the new varieties.

Breeding new flower colors can be unpredictable, as genetic combinations do not always produce expected results.

"My students often say breeding new colors is like opening a blind box. It requires both scientific methods and a bit of luck," Fu said.

The team sometimes screens up to 150,000 plants in a month, identifying about 800 promising individuals each day and recording traits such as flower color and resistance to environmental stress.