Marker-assisted selection for fast-track breeding of high oleic lines in safflower (Carthamus tinctorious L.)

•High oleic safflower varieties carried a mutation in fatty acid desaturase2-1 gene.•The mutant fatty acid desaturase2-1 allele inherited recessively.•DNA marker based genotypic assays accurately predicted the high oleic trait.•Marker assisted backcrossing was effective to develop high oleic breeding lines.•The new elite breeding lines had the oleic content ranging from 75.2%–81.8%.