Enhancing Oil Content in Oilseed Crops: Genetic Insights, Molecular Mechanisms, and Breeding Approaches

Vegetable oils are essential for human nutrition and industrial applications. With growing global demand, increasing oil content in oilseed crops has become a top priority. This review synthesizes recent progress in understanding the genetic, environmental, and molecular mechanisms regulating oil content, and presents biotechnological strategies to enhance oil accumulation in major oilseed crops. Oil biosynthesis is governed by intricate genetic-environmental interactions. Environmental factors and agronomic practices significantly impact oil accumulation dynamics. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified key loci and candidate genes involved in lipid biosynthesis pathways. Transcription factors and epigenetic regulators further fine-tune oil accumulation. Biotechnological approaches, including marker-assisted selection (MAS) and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing, have successfully generated high-oil-content variants. Future research should integrate multi-omics data, leverage AI-based predictive breeding, and apply precision genome editing to optimize oil yield while maintaining seed quality. This review provides critical references for the genetic improvement and breeding of high- and ultra-high-oil-content varieties in oilseed crops.