The plant geneticist’ contribution toward changing lipid and amino acid composition of safflower

Current research on the fatty acid composition of the seed oil of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) has shown the following: (1) there is a possibility that the oleic acid content can be increased above 80%, though probably not above 85%, by use of modifying genes and the major geneol; (2) wild species do not look very promising as a source of genes for modifying fatty acid composition; (3) commercially grown high linoleic and high oleic types are temperature stable; (4) an experimental type with about equal amounts of oleic and linoleic acids is responsive to temperature, with high temperature increasing oleic acid and low temperature increasing linoleic acid; and (5) stearic acid in another experimental type with higher levels of stearic acid (5–10%) is reduced by low temperatures. One of seven papers presented at the Symposium, “The Plant Geneticist’s Contribution Toward Changing Lipid and Amino Acid Composition of Oilseeds,” AOCS Meeting, Houston, May 1971.