Up-to-date results on biochemical genetics of sunflower in vniimk

Forty-seven specimens from the world germplasm collection of VIR were crossed as male with a high oleic line HA89A OL as female. The mean of 10 seed samples of F1 was 83% oleic acid content. High oleic trait was mainly dominant. Two crosses showed intermediate inheritance with the means of 62% and 68%. The range of single-seed variability of these two crosses was from 53% to 89% oleic acid. The genotypes showing abnormal segregation in F1 have been selected to develop a set of normal lines with a suppressor for Ol mutation. The inheritance of mid- (increased) oleic content (about 62%) was studied in the F1, F2 and BC generations of the inbred line LG27 crossed with the high oleic line HA89 OL. Mid-oleic acid content was shown to be controlled by a recessive allele of ol gene, designated ol1. An inbred line with 92% oleic content was obtained to investigate a super high oleic genotype. Another high oleic line was selected for low stearic content, about 1%. High palmitic (about 24%) line is being developed. High-oleic mutation is quite detectable both in immature and germinated seeds. Mutations for tocopherol composition, tph1 and tph2, have a high level of expressivity in different parts of the plant. It was shown for tph2 mutation that its heterozygotes could be clearly identified by the analysis of pollen from a single head. The open pollinated variety Favorite was developed in VNIIMK in 1993. It was shown that seed oil of the variety had about three times higher hydrolytic stability estimated as the lower level of free fatty acid value of crude oil.