Influence of water deficit and genotype on protein, oil contents and some physical characteristics of sunflower seeds

Abstract

Water deficit stress and genotype effects on crude protein, oil content and some physical properties of 
sunflower seeds were investigated. The analyses indicated that, water deficit stress and varietal difference 
influenced the proximate composition of sunflower seeds. The seeds from Azargol and Hysun 33 cultivars were 
found to have the highest and lowest oil contents of 45 and 42% respectively, while the seeds from Hysun 25 
and 33 cultivars had the highest and lowest protein contents of 39 and 32% respectively. In general, as the 
water supply decreased oil content and physical characteristics of each cultivar were negatively affected, but 
protein content of each cultivar was positively affected. The cultivar with the highest protein content in well
watered and water deficit stress condition (irrigation after 50 and 150 mm cumulative evaporation from class A 
evaporation pan, respectively) had the following mean physical properties: length of 9.68 ± 0.5 and 7.44 ± 0.6 
mm, width of 6.52 ± 1.3 and 4.21 ± 0.4 mm, thickness of 4.08 ± 0.51 and 3.11 ± 0.004 mm, volume of 142.7 ± 18.6 
and 52.11 ± 1.8 mm3, surface area of 105.7 ± 5.6 and 55.9 ± 1 mm 2, mass of 55.7 ± 1.2 and 28.4 ± 1.3 g and 
moisture content of 11.4 and 9.8% (d.b). However, the cultivar with the highest oil content in well-watered and 
maximum water deficit stress condition had the following mean physical properties: length of 12.73 ± 0.7 and 
9.37 ± 0.3 mm, width of 5.76 ± 0.33 and 2.98 ± 0.02 mm, thickness of 3.33 ± 0.4 and 2.06 ± 0.05 mm, volume of 
137.69 ± 6.8 and 31.35 ± 1.5 mm3, surface area of 105.4 ± 5.2 and 42.1 ± 1.7 mm2, mass of 53 ± 1.8 and 25.3 ± 0.2 
g and moisture content of 9.9 and 9% (d.b).