The present invention provides methods of marker assisted selection for high oleic/low linolenic traits in canola and in other oil seed crop species, as well as isolated nucleic acids for use as molecular markers in such methods. In particular, molecular markers and Brassica nucleic acid corresponding to fad2 and fad3 gene mutations are disclosed. The markers of the present invention are highly useful for the direct selection of desirable fad2 and fad3 alleles during marker-assisted trait introgression and breeding. In a one aspect of the embodiment, two single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers are provided which correspond to the alleles.Thus, the present invention advantageously permits one of skill in the art to breed for the molecular markers described herein, or derivatives thereof, rather than breeding for a high oleic/low linolenic phenotype.
