VARIABILITY IN OIL, PROTEIN AND FATTY-ACID IN SAFFLOWER (CARTHAMUS-TINCTORIUS L.) GENOTYPES

The study of 19 different genotypes of safflower showed a large variab ility in oil and protein contents of seed and composition of higher fa tty acid in oil. Turk-4 and Iran-7 produced highest amount of oil and protein content in seed. The control variety Saf-l had the highest con tent of oleic (18 : 1) acid (80.80%) and the lowest content of linolei c (18 : 2) acid (9.80%). The highest content of linoleic acid was foun d in Turk-4 (83.12%) followed by BCT 0961 (80.54%) and BCT 0963 (79.44 %). Turk-4 also has the highest linoleic/oleic ration of 8.46. A signi ficant positive correlation was found between 18:2 with oil content an d unsaturated fatty acids 16 : 0 and 18 : 0. Oil content had a signifi cant positive correlation with 16 : 0 and 16 : 0 with 18 : 2. Signific ant positive correlation with 16 : 0 and 16 : 0 with 18 : 2. Significa nt negative correlations were found in oleic acid with both saturated (16 : 0, 18 : 0) and unsaturated fatty acid (18 : 2) and also with see d weight. Regarding fatty acid composition eight genotypes were found in very high linoleic type, three in high linoleic, four of each in hi gh oleic and intermediate type.