Development of sunflower hybrids with different oil quality

Abstract

The cultivated sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is one of most important oil crops of the world. Although sunflower is primarily grown for extraction of its seed oil there is a limited production of non-oilseed sunflower types which are used in confections industry or as bird feed. The objective of this research was development of hybrids with high and stable oleic acid content and modified tocopherol composition, with high values for the two most important agronomic characters (seed yield and oil yield) and high tolerance to Phomopsis. The incorporation of the gene Ol+tph1 into these genotypes has led to the development of high-oleic hybrids with altered tocopherol profiles. Oil of these hybrids has a much longer shelf-life than standard sunflower oil. The process of incorporating the genes Ol+tph2 and Ol+tph1tph2 into highly productive sunflower genotypes is under way. The most important results of this line of research are the newly developed female lines with the oleic acid content in oil over 90% and the male lines (restorers) with an oleic acid content in the 89-93% range. Using these lines, hybrids will be developed whose oleic acid content in oil will exceed 90%.