The Effect of Climate, Nitrogen and Micronutrients Application on Oiliness and Fatty Acid Composition of Sunflower Achenes

Abstract

AbstractEven though the sunflower is the second most widespread oil plant in the Czech Republic, there is a lack of information about the effects of climate, nitrogen and micronutrients application on sunflower oiliness and fatty acid composition of sunflower achenes. To obtain such information, we established five year experiment (2008–2012) to study the effect of climate, nitrogen (C-control, N 60–60 kg N ha−1, N 90–90 kg N ha−1, N 120–120 kg N ha−1) and of foliar application of boron (N 90 + B), zinc (N 90 + Zn) and molybdenum (N 90 + Mo) on sunflower oiliness and composition of fatty acids (palmitic, palmitoleic, stearic, oleic and linoleic acids). According to our results, oiliness and fatty acid composition was significantly influenced by climate and fertilizer treatment. Oiliness was influenced mainly by climate (96.4%), the effect of fertilizer treatment was minor (2.5%). Within the frame of climate, the effect of precipitation was slightly higher than of temperature. A strong and negative relationship between the dose of nitrogen and oiliness was revealed (r = –0.79), the difference between C and N 120 treatment was 2.1% on behalf of C treatment. The highest oiliness was recorded in 2011 (50.72%) and in C treatment (48.48%). The fatty acid composition was not significantly influenced by fertilizer treatment, but was significantly influenced by the climate conditions of the year. Application of micronutrients was not connected with any significant increase in oiliness or in the fatty acid composition due to a high initial content of those micronutrients in top soil.