THE EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON THE OIL CONTENT AND FATTY ACID COMPOSITION OF THE OILS FROM SEVERAL OIL SEED CROPS

Plants of rape, safflower, sunflower, flax, and castor bean were grown at temperatures of 10, 16, 21, and 26.5 °C for the period of seed development. Oil content of sunflower, safflower, and castor bean was not affected by temperature. Highest oil content in rape and flax was found at the lowest temperature and a continual decrease was observed with increases in temperature. Fatty acid composition of the oil from safflower and castor bean was not affected by a change in temperature. In the other three species the amount of the more highly unsaturated fatty acids decreased as the temperature was increased. This decrease was accompanied by an increase in oleic acid. The levels of saturated fatty acids in all of the species were not affected by changes in temperature.