Oil content,fatty acid composition,and other agronomic characteristics of sunflower introductions

Twenty sunflower(Helianthus annuus L.) introductions and the variety Mammoth Kussian were grown at Experiment, Georgia. Total oil, fatty acid composition, and other agronomic characteristics were used to evaluate the various introductions. Total oil content varied from 17.7 to 32.7%. All introductions were relatively low in palmitic, stearic, linolenic, and behenic acids. About 90% of the oil was composed of oleic and linoleic acids, and there was considerable variation in the ratios of these two fatty acids. Seed yields varied from 329 to 3,224 lb per acre and were related to the number and size of flowers. The more profusely flowering and higher yielding introductions originated in countries of lower latitudes.