NEW SUNFLOWER AND SOYBEAN CULTIVARS FOR NOVEL VEGETABLE OIL TYPES

Commercial production of sunflower and soybean cultivars with altered fatty acid profiles compared to today's commodity oils has been initia ted. Sunflower hybrids with oleic contents up to 90% and soybean varie ties with less than 4% palmitic acid or less than 3.5% linolenic acid have been developed using mutation breeding. These new oil profiles ar e available in elite seed products with agronomic performance comparab le to that of seeds used for commodity production. These new oil varia nts have been made without effecting nonacylglycerol components such a s tocopherols or phytosterols. Thus, the twofold variation in these mi nor constituents of ail, that exist in different genotypes of the thre e major oilseeds, might be exploited to add greater value to novel oil s being developed for the oils industry. Genetic variants in fatty aci d profile or minor oil constituents, whether developed through mutatio n breeding or through gene transfer, are providing building blocks to develop an array of new oils for industry. The challenge - and opportu nity - is for the oils industry to work with genetic companies in orde r to create valuable new renewable raw materials that meet the needs o f consumers and the general public.