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Abstract: BACKGROUND: The effect of genetic background on the stability of fatty acid composition in sunflower near isogenic lines (NILs) carrying high‐oleic Pervenets (P) or high‐oleic NM1 mutations was studied. The materials were field‐tested in different locations and at different sowing dates to evaluate a wide range of environmental conditions. Relationships were established between the fatty acids and the minimum night temperature (MNT) and the response was characterized. RESULTS: A genetic background effect for the fatty acid composition was found in both groups of NILs. The NM1‐NILs showed an oleic level higher than 910 g kg−1 and they were more stable across environments with a zero or low dependence on the genetic background; on the other hand, high oleic materials bearing the P mutation showed lower levels of oleic acid, with a higher variation in fatty acid composition and a highly significant dependence on the genetic background. CONCLUSION: The NM1 mutation is the best option to develop ultra‐high oleic sunflower oil that is stable across environments and genetic backgrounds, making its agronomical production more efficient and predictable. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: This study characterized the influence of temperature during grain filling on the saturated fatty acid distribution in triacylglycerol molecules from high stearic sunflower lines with different genetic backgrounds. Two growth chamber experiments were conducted with day/night temperatures of 16/16, 26/16, 26/26 and 32/26 °C. RESULTS: In all genotypes, independently of the genetic background, higher temperatures increased palmitic and oleic acid and reduced linoleic acid concentrations. Increasing night temperature produced an increase in saturated-unsaturated-saturated species, indicating amore symmetricaldistributionof saturatedfatty acids. Thesolid fat indexwasmoreaffectedby temperature during grain filling in lines with high linoleic than high oleic background. Higher variations in symmetry among night temperatures were observed in lines with high oleic background, which aremore stable in fatty acid composition. CONCLUSION: The effect of temperature on triacylglycerol composition is not completely explained by its effect on fatty acid composition. Thus night temperature affects oil properties via its effects on fatty acid synthesis and on the distribution of fatty acids in the triacylglycerol molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fatty acid composition of Helianthus annuus L. (sunflower) oil depends on intercepted solar radiation per plant (ISR) during grain filling. This effect could be accounted for by the assimilate availability of the grains (the source-sink ratio). However, the current physiological-biochemical knowledge does not consider any effect of carbon availability on oil fatty acid composition. The objective of this work was to address the regulation of fatty acid composition by assimilate supply to sunflower grains. A wide range of source-sink ratios was obtained by manipulating either the source or the sink during grain filling. Assimilate supply was also modified by injecting sucrose into the receptacle of sunflower capitula. Grain weight and oil content depended on both ISR and source-sink ratio in a curvilinear manner. When sink size was decreased by grain excision, ISR failed to explain oil fatty acid composition, while source-sink ratio appropriately described it. Sucrose injection significantly increased grain weight, oil content, and oleic acid percentage of shaded plants. It is concluded that effects of ISR on fatty acid composition are a consequence of changes in assimilate availability for grain oil synthesis. To explain these results a conceptual model is proposed: when assimilate supply limits grain growth and oil synthesis, mainly linoleic acid is synthesized. As the assimilate supply increases, oleic acid desaturation process gets saturated and oleic acid accumulates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) on weight per grain and oil concentration and their dynamics was investigated in several sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) striped and black hull hybrids grown in contrasting environments. The study included the previously investigated hybrids Dekalb G-100 and NKT, and two near isohybrids, which differed in the character of the type of hull. The effect of intercepted PAR lower than those studied in previous works was also investigated. Oil concentration was affected by intercepted radiation but striped hull hybrids reached the maximum oil concentration at lower levels of intercepted PAR than black hull hybrids. A decrease in intercepted radiation decreased final oil concentration mainly due to a lower duration of the phase during which oil concentration linearly increases. Despite the hull type, changes in grain oil concentration that were originated by changes in intercepted radiation largely depended on kernel oil concentration. No differences were observed in the response of weight per grain to changes in intercepted radiation among black hull and striped hull hybrids. Low sensitivity of oil concentration to changes in intercepted PAR must be considered for modeling grain quality. Striped hull hybrids could perform as black hull hybrids in environments with low intercepted radiation during grain filling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One difficulty in obtaining drought-tolerant varieties is the unequivocal evaluation of plant response to soil-water deficits. A method is proposed that allows reproducible soil-water deficit treatments to be applied to different sunflower genotypes. Maize ( Zea mays L.) plants were sown in the same pots as but earlier than some sunflower plants in order to rapidly deplete the soil water. This method was compared to a standard method in which plants under evaluation are used to dry out the soil. The method was reproducible in the evaluation of drought tolerance of four sunflower inbred lines. Advantages of the proposed method are that: (i) it allows the desired soil water content to be reached quickly; (ii) the resulting soil water content in the pot is uniform and (iii) the rate of decrease in soil water content is independent of the genotype being evaluated. Data indicate that maize plants had no effect on the growth of sunflower genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tocopherols are natural antioxidants that increase the stability of fat-containing foods and perform important biological activities. Significant variations (389 to 1873 µg g oil-1) in the total tocopherol concentration of sunflower seed oil have been reported. The main objectives of this work were to determine the influence of intercepted photosynthetically active radiation on tocopherol concentration during seed filling and to establish and validate relationships between tocopherol concentration in oil and other quality variables of the seed. Seven sunflower hybrids were grown under good water and nutritional conditions in two similar experiments carried out in two contrasting environments. Treatments were applied to modify the amount of radiation intercepted per plant during seed filling in order to obtain a range in oil yield per plant and its components. Greater per plant intercepted radiation decreased the tocopherol concentration in oil. Tocopherol concentration decreased when oil weight per seed increased. Tocopherol concentration stabilized for oil weight per seed higher than 23 mg oil seed-1. This exponential relationship accounted for 73% of the variability in tocopherol concentration (507 to 1203 µg g oil-1) despite differences in hull type, locations, hybrids, and radiation treatments. The proposed relationship acceptably predicted independent results. Crop management techniques could lead to seeds with greater concentrations of tocopherols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A reduction in intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) during a short period of seed filling could affect weight per seed and oil concentration in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) depending when the reduction occurs. The main objectives of this work were (i) to determine the period of time during which intercepted PAR most influences final weight per seed and oil concentration, and (ii) to establish and validate relationships between intercepted PAR during such a period and oil yield components. Intercepted PAR was modified by shading (0, 50, or 80%) field grown crops during different periods of seed filling. Data from published and unpublished field experiments, in which intercepted PAR per plant was changed during the entire seed filling period by shading, thinning to reduce plant population, or both, were also used. All experiments were performed under adequate water and nutrient conditions. A reduction in intercepted PAR during 7 to 10 d of seed filling affected weight per seed and oil concentration. The developmental interval during which final weight per seed and oil concentration were best accounted for by accumulated intercepted PAR (r² > 0.805) began at 250°C d and ended at 450°C days after flowering (DAF). The established relationships were validated with independent data. The relationships obtained in this work help to explain the effects of environment and crop management (sowing date, location, year) on oil yield variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The best-yielding and most stable cultivars are identified by growing cultivars in different environments. The stability of grain-quality traits has been less thoroughly investigated than the stability of grain yield. High-oleic hybrids of sunflower have been available on the Argentinian seed market for several years. Research on the stability of these genotypes is scarce. The objectives of this work were (i) to compare, using three different methods, the stability and adaptability of high-oleic hybrids for grain yield and oil and oleic acid contents, and (ii) to explore the advantages and disadvantages of each method in selecting stable or adapted genotypes with high grain yield and high quality. Stability and adaptability analyses were performed on results for grain yields and oil and oleic acid contents of 35 high-oleic sunflower hybrids from 17 comparative yield trials conducted over 2 years in Argentina. Stability was estimated using two methods: Fisher's protected least significant difference (LSD) test, which compared hybrids with the best-yielding hybrid in each environment, and the test of relative yield (RY), which uses standard deviation as the measure of stability. Adaptability was estimated using Piepho's method of ‘multiple comparisons with the best’. These three methods can be applied to unbalanced data. Piepho's method made little discrimination amongst the hybrids. The LSD and RY tests coincided in classifying the hybrids as stable and unstable in 85 % of cases for grain yield and 76 % for oil content. It is concluded that the most convenient method depends on characteristics of the experimental design and of variability of the evaluated trait. Results from the LSD test depend on the number of environments in which the cultivar is tested. The RY method is valuable for classifying some cultivars as high-yielding and stable, avoiding the problem of high-yielding environments biasing the general average. Use of both methods... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]