Oil crops

In recent years, the oil palm sector has witnessed a period of historically high prices with buoyant global demand and high levels of production driven largely by economic development in major Asian countries such as India and China. However, the oil palm sector is also confronted by many important challenges that require attention. Such challenges include fragmentation of the industry, stagnating yields, and an image problem that is largely due to the conversion of tropical rainforest and peatlands in a few regions in South-east Asia. The biological and managerial tools to surmount these challenges already exist but need more focussed application and political support. Potentially groundbreaking biological tools include the new molecular breeding technologies, such as those made possible by the recent publication of the oil palm genome sequence (Singh et al., 2013a, b). Two key R&D targets for the industry are:

Analyses of charred remains and impressions of chaff in pise´ (mudbrick) from the Neolithic sites of Aratashen and Aknashen (sixth millennium cal B.C.) situated in the Ararat valley in Armenia demonstrate that naked barley and possible naked (free-threshing) wheat together with emmer and hulled barley were common. Two lesser known crucifers, Camelina microcarpa (false flax) and Alyssum desertorum (alyssum) were found in the form of crop processing residues. These were frequent in the pise´, indicating their use perhaps as an oil source. Lens culinaris (small-seeded lentil) and Vicia ervilia (bitter vetch) were recovered both as carbonized seeds and from crop processing residues in the pise´. False flax and bitter vetch were less common than alyssum and lentil. Two charred pips of Vitis vinifera (wild vine) were recovered, suggesting the early use of vines in the region. Flotation samples alone would have provided limited data; examination of crop processing residues used for tempering pise´ provided important evidence of the plant economy at these two sites.

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) and some oil crops have considerable economic value, making them important for commercial use. The fatty acid content of their seeds is crucial for proper nutrition. Additionally, the desaturation reaction via fatty acid desaturases (FADs) leads to formation of double bonds in fatty acids and is an essential step in fatty acid biosynthesis. This study aimed to identify and compare some fatty acid desaturase gene members in sunflower and other oil crops. Totally, 33 FAD genes from sunflower, 19 from sesame, 20 from canola, 25 from cacao and 46 from flax were analysed. The FAD members had roles in oxidation–reduction processes, fatty acid biosynthetic processes or lipid metabolic processes. Comparative phylogenetic and motif analysis revealed a conserved structure among FAD members belonging to various oil crops. The average Ka/Ks rates calculated on the basis of orthologous gene analysis were 0.04, 0.05 and 0.05 between sunflower and, respectively, canola, cacao and sesame. The most recent divergence time between sunflower and cacao was estimated at an average of 100 million years ago (MYA). This was followed by flax, sesame and canola with an average of 101 MYA, 114 MYA and 149 MYA, respectively. Alpha-helices were dominant in the predicted 3D structures of FAD proteins. The FAB2 expression levels from a drought tolerant sunflower variety were not affected by drought. The characterisation of desaturase family members in economically valuable oil crops could be useful for functional cloning studies to enhance the unsaturated fatty acid contents of the plants.

Bu araştırmada, salisilik asit uygulamasının aspir çeşitlerinin verim ve bazı kalite özelliklerine etkilerinin belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Çalışma, Namık Kemal Üniversitesi Ziraat Fakültesi Tarla Bitkileri deneme alanında 2014 ve 2015 yıllarında olmak üzere iki yıl süreyle yürütülmüştür. Deneme Tesadüf Bloklarında Bölünmüş Parseller Deneme Desenine göre 3 tekrarlamalı olarak kurulmuştur. Araştırmada metaryal olarak iki aspir çeşidi (Dinçer ve Balcı) ve salisilik asidin 4 dozu (0, 0.1, 0.5 ve 1 mM) kullanılmıştır. Sonuçlar incelendiğinde SA uygulamasının aspir tohumlarında protein oranını artırıcı yönde teşvik ettiği görülürken, tohum verimi ve yağ oranı ortalamaları arasındaki fark önemsiz bulunmuştur. Her iki yılda da en yüksek tohum verimi Dinçer çeşidinden elde edilmiştir (sırasıyla 120.49 ve 122.89 kg/da). Çeşit x doz interaksiyonlarının protein oranına etkisi önemli bulunmuş ve her iki yılda da en yüksek protein oranı 0.1 mM SA uygulamasıyla Balcı çeşidinden elde edilmiştir (sırasıyla %17.15 ve %16.98). Sonuç olarak, protein oranı küspenin hayvan yemi olarak değerlendirilmesinde önem arz ettiğine göre, salisilik asit uygulaması pratik bir yöntem olabilir.

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Four hundred sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) lines selected by five methods from five crosses were tested for yield and other agronomic characters in F-6 and F-7. More high yielding lines were isolated by the bulk method and in the cross involving two local cultivars when two seasons means and performance in each individual season were considered. The cross involving two exotic cultivars did not produce a single line superior to local recommended variety. The 80 highest yielding lines recorded a 10.8% increase in yield compared to the mean of 400 lines. Thirty five lines were among the top 20% both seasons with a 13.2% increase in yield. Highly significant seasonal and population effects were recorded. There were no significant differences among the methods of selection although the yield differences among lines were highly significant. Interactions of seasons x populations, seasons x methods, populations x methods and seasons x populations x methods were highly significant. The results indicate that simple and less expensive bulk method may be used with equal success as the pedigree, single seed descent or early generation testing methods when selecting for yield in segregating sesame populations. The importance of inclusion of a high yielding, locally adapted cultivar in the crossing programmes for yield breeding of sesame has also been revealed.

Abstract: Irrigation interval and plant density play an important role in the proper stand establishment
of the growing crop, which ultimately affect the productivity and quality at the end of the growing season.
A field experiment was conducted at the Demonstration Farm of the Faculty of Agriculture, University
of Khartoum, Shambat, Sudan, to find out the effect of different irrigation intervals(7,14 and 21days) and
two inter- row spacing (15 and 30cm) on the vegetative growth of two hybrids sunflower (Helianthus
annuus L), nam ely: Seed tech 1224 and Sunwheat 101. The present study indicated that, frequent
irrigation interval (7days) improved the vegetative growth structures produced i.e. plant height, stem
diameter, number of leaves per plant, leaf area index and shoot dry weight of sunflower. The inter-row
spacing of 30cm resulted in high performance of vegetative growth. Among the hybrids, Seed Tech 1224
gave high growth performance than the rest variety.

at Shambat, Sudan. The aim of the study was to investigate five irrigation water quantities on actual evapotranspiration as compared with estimated evapotranspiration using Penman-Monteith method, modified Penman formula and pan evaporation. Water use efficiency and crop factors were calculated and the best water use efficiency was obtained under irrigation water 650 mm. Under all irrigation treatments, there was a large deviation of pan evaporation, modified Penman and Penman-monteith estimate from actually measured evapotranspiration. Crop coefficients were decreased with decreased water quantities in all treatments. Crop coefficients computed by pan evaporation were under all circumstances, lower than these obtained by modified Penman and Penman-Monteiths methods.

A field experiment was conducted during two successive seasons (2001/2002 and 2002/2003) to investigate the effect of irrigation water quantities on growth, oil yield and protein content of sesame (sesamum indicum L.) cultivars, namely: Khidir and Promo. Five water quantities (750, 650, 550, 450 and 350 mm) were used. The results showed that the irrigation quantity (750 mm) significantly improved the vegetative growth atributes, oil yield, oil content and reduced seed protien content. Khider Cultivar was a superior in oil yield and protien content.

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of gibberellic acid (GA3) on some yield and quality components of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.). Research was conducted at Applying Research Field, Faculty of Agriculture, Namik Kemal University in 2014 and 2015. The experiment was laid out as a split plot design based on Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications, in which cultivars constituted the main plot with two cultivars (Dinçer and Balcı), and gibberellic acid constituted the sub-plot with four doses (control, 0 ppm, 100 ppm, 200 ppm and 300 ppm). Results showed that variation in doses of gibberellic acid had a significant effect on seeds per capsule, capsule diameter, 1000 seed weight, hull ratio, seed yield and oil ratio of safflower. Although GA3 applications significantly decreased the seed yield, increasing doses of GA3 increased the oil ratio and 1000 seed weight.

A diallel cross involving 7 sesame (Sesamum indicum) varieties originating in different latitudes was grown in Sri Lanka during the monsoon season of 1992 and evaluated for 9 yield components. Heterosis and combining ability were studied according to Griffing's (1956) model 1, method 2. Heterosis was pronounced for all characters, except 1000-seed weight. Heterosis was less pronounced in crosses of the local high yielding variety MI2. General combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) mean squares were significant for all characters, except 1000-seed weight. The GCA component was large for plant height and dry plant weight whereas other characters, including seed yield, had a high SCA component indicating the importance of non-additive effects. MI2 recorded positive GCA effects for all characters. High SCA effects for seed yield were recorded in 3 crosses of the late-maturing variety Criollo de Falcon and 2 crosses of the day-neutral Australian Introduction.

See details also at:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323302056_Global_pesticide_use_Profile_trend_cost_benefit_and_more

In present study, the data of pesticide use, crop (the total of cereals, pulses, roots and tubers, oil crops, fibre crops, fruits, vegetables, and melons, etc.) production and the area harvested of the world and major countries for the period between 1990 and 2014 were collected, organized and summarized from FAOSTAT. First I proposed an index to measure the productive efficiency of pesticide use, cost / benefit, which refers to the amount of pesticide use to produce a certain amount of crop in a year. Theoretical relationship between crop yield and cost / benefit of pesticide use is a model with the sigmoid curve: y = a + b / (1 + e^(c-rx)), where y is crop yield, x is cost / benefit of pesticide use. The results showed that global cost / benefit of pesticide use (total) increased with time during 1990 to 2007, and declined since 2007. Pesticide use (total) (kg / ha) had the similar trend. Global insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides & bactericides use and cost / benefit declined with time since 2007. During 2010 and 2014, mean pesticide cost / benefit was 0.645 g pesticide use (total) / kg crop production, and mean annual pesticide use (total) was 2.784 kg /ha. Mean cost / benefit of insecticides, herbicides and fungicides & bactericides use between 2010 and 2014 were 0.051, 0.16 and 0.074 g / kg crop production, respectively, and mean annual use of insecticides, herbicides and fungicides & bactericides were 0.221, 0.69 and 0.32 kg / ha, respectively. Globally, the cost / benefit of dithiocarbamates, bipiridils, carbamates insecticides, and organo-phosphates, and the use of dithiocarbamates, bipiridils, and carbamates insecticides have significantly declined since 2007, and conversely, the cost / benefit of triazoles / diazoles and the use of triazoles / diazoles, plant growth regulators, and amides, have significantly increased since 2007. Of the major countries, the averaged annual cost / benefit of pesticide use (total) of Brazil...

Öz Yağlık ayçiçeği, adaptasyonu ve mekanizasyon oranı yüksek, pazarlanma kolaylığı ve tüketicilerce en çok tercih edilen bitkisel yağ olması nedeniyle, ülkemizin en önemli yağ bitkisidir. Ayrıca ülkemiz yağlı tohum üretimimizin yetersizliği ve son yıllarda artan rafine bitkisel yağ ve margarin ihracatı nedeniyle artan yağ açığımız (2014'de 4 Milyar $), ayçiçeğinin önemini giderek arttırmaktadır. Ülkemizde son yıllarda ağırlıklı olarak Trakya Bölgesi'nde tarımı yapılan yağlık ayçiçeğinin, artan fiyatlara da bağlı olarak ekim alanları giderek diğer bölgelerde yaygınlaşmak olup, özellikle Konya ve Çukurova bölgelerindeki artış dikkat çekmektedir. Yazlık bir bitki olduğundan, yıllara bağlı olarak verimi değişiklik göstermektedir. Ülkemizde ayçiçeği üretimini kısıtlayan parametreler; son yıllarda yeni ırklarına dayanıklı hibritler geliştirilen orobanş parazitine ilaveten, yabancı otlar ve mildiyö hastalığıdır. Özellikle ekim öncesi ilaçlarla kontrol edilemeyen pıtrak, sirken, köy göçüren, vb yabancı otlar, verimi fazlaca etkilediğinden, hem bu geniş yapraklı otları, hem de orobanşı kontrol eden çıkış sonrası Imidazolinone (IMI) terkipli herbisitlerin ve buna dayanıklı ayçiçeği hibritlerinin kullanıldığı Clearfield teknolojisi, pazarda payını giderek arttırmaktadır. Son yıllarda, mildiyö ve orobanşın yeni ırklarına dayanıklı çeşitler piyasada olduğundan, ayçiçeğinde çeşit problemi bulunmamaktadır. Ancak tüketicilere hem kaliteli bir yağ sunan, hem de kızartmaya daha uygun ve dünyada payı giderek artan oleik tip ayçiçeğinin ülkemizde gelecekte fazlaca yaygınlaşması, ülkemiz ekonomisine önemli katkılar sağlayacaktır. Abstract Oil type sunflower is the most important oil crops due to its higher adaptation and mechanization use, being easy marketable and the most preferred vegetable oil by consumers in Turkey. Due to the lack of our domestic oilseed production, rising vegetable oils and margarine exports and our oil deficit (4 billion in 2014) in recent years increases gradually the importance of sunflower. Oil type sunflower which are mainly cultivated in Trakya region is going to spread to other regions its acreage due to rising prices and the increases particularly in the Konya and Cukurova region in recent years are noteworthy. As being a summer crop, its yield varies depending on the year. Parameters that restrict the sunflower production in our country are weeds and downy mildew in addition to broomrape parasite which were developed resistant hybrids against it in recent years. The broad-leaf weeds such as cocklebur, Cirsium, Chenopodium etc. which are not controlled by pre emergence herbicides influence more seed yield much so Clearfield technology applied post-emergence with controlling both broomrape and Imidazolinone (IMI) resistant sunflower hybrids are gradually increased its market share. In recent years, there is no sunflower variety problem because new cultivars resistant to downy mildew and broomrape are in the market. However, the increase of oleic type sunflower both offering a high quality oil to consumers as well as is much more affordable for frying oil with increasing market share widespread in the world will make an important contributions to our country economy in the future.

IntroductionTemperate plant species whose seed oils are rich in medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) are relatively rare (Wolf et al. 1983). One species of particular interest is cuphea, a temperate annual oilseed crop with high levels of MCFAs such as capric and lauric acid (Graham et al. 1981; Graham and Kleiman 1985; Graham and Kleiman 1992). These fatty acids are highly valued as feedstocks in manufacturing cosmetics, soaps and detergents, pharmaceuticals, and industrial lubricants (Wolf et al. 1983; Thompson et al. 1990; Cermak and Isbell 2004). Additionally, new uses for MCFAs have the potential to significantly replace petroleum-based products like motor oil, hydraulic fluid, and diesel fuel (Geller et al. 1999; Geller and Goodrum 2000; Leroux et al. 2006). This chapter primarily covers the advances of cuphea research since the previous reviews of cuphea breeding presented by Knapp (1990a, 1993) with the main focus on oilseed production in the cuphea species of C. lanceolata, and C. ...