FATTY-ACID COMPOSITION OF OIL FROM ADAPTED, ELITE CORN BREEDING MATERIALS

The fatty acid composition of corn oil can be altered to meet consumer demands for ''healthful'' fats (i.e., lower saturates and higher mono unsaturates). To this end, a survey of 418 corn hybrids and 98 corn in breds grown in iowa was done to determine the fatty acid composition o f readily-available, adapted, elite corn breeding materials. These mat erials are those used in commercial hybrid production. Eighty-seven hy brids grown in France (18 of which also were grown in iowa) were analy zed to determine environmental influence on fatty acid content. The pa rents of the hybrids and the inbreds were classified in one of four he terotic groups: Lancaster, Stiff Stalk, non-lancaster/non-Stiff Stalk, and Other. t-Tests and correlation analyses were performed with stati stical significance accepted at a level of P less than or equal to 0.0 5. The findings showed a wide range of fatty acid profiles present in adapted, elite corn breeding materials with ranges for each fatty acid as follows. palmitic acid, 6.7-16.5%; palmitoleic acid, 0.0-1.2%; ste aric acid, 0.7-6.6%; oleic acid, 16.2-43.8%; linoleic acid, 39.5-69.5% ; linolenic acid, 0.0-3.7%; and arachidic acid, 0.0-1.0%. Small amount s of myristic acid, margaric acid, and gadoleic acid also were found. Three lines had total saturates of 9.1% or less. Thirty-six of the t-t ests involving hybrids showed significant differences among heterotic groups. There were small but significant correlations among protein, s tarch and oil content and the amounts of several fatty acids. Results from the corn grown in France vs. iowa demonstrated a large environmen tal effect that overwhelmed the genetic differences among lines. This study shows that for some attributes, a breeding program involving ada pted corn breeding materials might produce the desired oil. Other type s of oil (such as high-oleic) would have to be produced in a different manner, for example, by a breeding program with exotic breeding mater ials.