FATTY-ACID DIVERSITY OF SECTION INFLEXAE LIMNANTHES (MEADOWFOAM)

Meadowfoam (Limnanthes ssp.) is a rich source of unique unsaturated lo ng-chain fatty acids. The commercial crop is based on L. alba (Section Inflexae of the Limnanthaceae). We describe the fatty acid diversity of L. alba and other Section Inflexae taxa. The unsaturated fatty acid percentage for L. alba seed oil was 97.9%. Significant differences we re found for 20: 1 Delta 5, 22:1 Delta 5, 22:1 Delta 13, and 22:2 Delt a 5 Delta 13 percentage among L. alba half-sib families. The percentag e ranges for 20:1 Delta 5, 22:1 Delta 5, 22:1 Delta 13, and 22:2 Delta 5 Delta 13 were 57.6 to 68.8, 2.3 to 6.3, 6.5 to 15.6, and 7.9 to 27. 7, respectively. Fatty acid phenotypes different from L. alba were not found within the secondary and tertiary gene pools of L. alba. The he ritabilities for 20: 1 Delta 5, 22: 1 Delta 5, 22: 1 Delta 13, and 22: 2 Delta 5 Delta 13 within L. alba were 0.73, 0.78, 0.97, and 0.93, res pectively. Strong associations were found between S-0 and S-1 fatty ac id phenotypes. S-1 lines were developed with 68.1% 20:1 Delta 5, 6.9% 22:1L Delta 5, 23.5% 22:1 Delta 13, and 23.4% 22:2 Delta 5 Delta 13. I nduced mutations are needed to develop more extreme phenotypes than th ose based on natural variants within Section Inflexae.