A method for breeding new purple-orange Chinese cabbage germplasm crosses the purple head Chinese cabbage inbred line 11S96 as the male parent and the orange Chinese cabbage inbred line 11J11 as the female parent. On the basis of selecting individual plants with good heading property in the F.sub.2 population, molecular markers are used to select individual plants carrying the purple-head gene and the orange gene. Through selfing of individual plants for three consecutive generations, a new Chinese cabbage germplasm with green outer leaves and purple-orange head leaves is bred. This method aggregates the purple-head gene and orange gene which are expressed in the head leaves of Chinese cabbage, creating a new Chinese cabbage germplasm with purple-orange head leaves. It enriches Chinese cabbage breeding materials, lays the foundation for breeding the new purple-orange Chinese cabbage variety, and sets a precedent for the aggregation of the head color traits of Chinese cabbage.

The present invention includes cauliflowers with enhanced whiteness and methods for obtaining such cauliflowers. The present invention also provides reagents that can be used in methods for obtaining such cauliflowers.

The present invention includes broccoli plants with curds having detached florets and methods for obtaining such broccoli plants. The present invention also provides reagents that can be used in methods for obtaining such broccoli plants.

A method of producing isothiocyanates includes forming, in a semi-solid or solid callus induction medium, compact callus aggregates from cells obtained from explant material of a Brassica oleracea L. plant. The method includes transferring cells from the callus aggregates, e.g. transferring the callus aggregates, to a suspension culture in a liquid medium in a shake flask, the liquid medium containing a plurality of elicitors. The method further involves transferring, after culturing in the shake flask, cells from the suspension culture to a further suspension culture in a bioreactor containing the elicitors. The method includes extracting and/or purifying of at least one isothiocyanate from cells obtained from the bioreactor. The elicitors have chitosan and salicylic acid to increase accumulation of benzyl isothiocyanate or any other isothiocyanate.

The present disclosure provides Brassica oleracea plants having curds or heads exhibiting increased resistance to downy mildew. Such plants may comprise novel introgressed genomic regions associated with disease resistance from Brassica oleracea MYCOCLP. In certain aspects, compositions, including novel polymorphic markers and methods for producing, breeding, identifying, and selecting plants or germplasm with a disease resistance phenotype are provided.

The present disclosure provides Brassica oleracea plants exhibiting broad spectrum resistance to Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris. Such plants may comprise novel introgressed genomic regions associated with disease resistance from Brassica oleracea var. capitata. In certain aspects, compositions, including novel polymorphic markers and methods for producing, breeding, identifying, and selecting plants or germplasm with a disease resistance phenotype are provided.

The present invention includes cauliflowers with enhanced whiteness and methods for obtaining such cauliflowers. The present invention also provides reagents that can be used in methods for obtaining such cauliflowers.

Provided is a means useful for enjoying the physiological action of kaempferol. A plant extract contains 1 mg/g or more of a kaempferol aglycone on a dry-weight basis.

The present disclosure provides Brassica oleracea plants exhibiting broad spectrum resistance to Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris. Such plants may comprise novel introgressed genomic regions associated with disease resistance from Brassica oleracea var. capitata. In certain aspects, compositions, including novel polymorphic markers and methods for producing, breeding, identifying, and selecting plants or germplasm with a disease resistance phenotype are provided.

The invention relates to a Brassica plant that is resistant to Hyaloperonospora brassicae, which plant may comprise a QTL on chromosome 8, and optionally a QTL on chromosome 4, and/or a QTL on chromosome 1. The presence of the QTL on chromosome 8 can be identified by use of at least one of the markers selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS: 1 to 7; the presence of the QTL on chromosome 4 can be identified by use of at least one of the markers selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS: 8 to 16; and the presence of the QTL on chromosome 1 can be identified by use of at least one of the markers selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS: 17 to 22. The QTL is as comprised in the genome of a Brassica plant representative seed of which was deposited with the NCIMB under accession number NCIMB 43346.