A Brassica plant including a Raphanus genomic fragment within its genome, wherein the fragment confers pod shattering tolerance phenotype POSH.sup.+ and the fragment is characterized by the absence of at least one SNP within one or more of the following Raphanus markers: SEQID NOs 4-18.

The invention provides methods for enhancing oil characteristics in Brassica oilseed plants by growing said plants and harvesting seed from said plants by straight cutting. The harvested seeds are useful for the production of oil with enhanced characteristics which can be used, for example, as food ingredient.

This disclosure provides methods and compositions for identifying Brassica plants that have a native deletion of the INDEHISCENT gene (BnIND-A) located on chromosome A of B. napus. Also provided are methods of improving one or more agronomic characteristics such as pod shatter and breeding methods for introducing a pod shatter tolerant phenotype in Brassica plants and/or their progeny.