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Influence of Sclerotinia Wilt on Seed Yield and Quality of Sunflower Wilted at Different Stages of Development 1
Author(s) -
Dorrell D. G.,
Huang H. C.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci1978.0011183x001800060017x
Subject(s) - wilting , biology , sunflower , helianthus annuus , anthesis , sclerotinia sclerotiorum , agronomy , horticulture , linoleic acid , cultivar , fatty acid , biochemistry
Wilt caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary reduced yield and quality of sunflower seeds ( Helianthus annuus L.) produced in field plots. The amount of reduction depended upon the stage of plant development when wilt occurred. Less than 0.5% of the plants were wilted at the bud stage and 7.2% by the start of anthesis. Thereafter approximately 6% of the plants wilted each week until 8 weeks after flowering when 60% of the plants had been killed. Seed yields were reduced more than 70% when wilting occurred within 4 weeks of flowering. This reduction was primarily due to lower seed weight. Oil content increased from 32.7% for plants wilted in the first 2 weeks, to 46.4% when wilting was delayed until 8 weeks after flowering. Protein content of oil‐free meal was fairly stable and averaged 53.1% during the first 5 weeks, but increased to 57.7% thereafter. Fatty acid composition was relatively unaffected by wilting as linoleic acid content varied from 74.4 to 76.8%. Thus, the oil was considered to be of excellent quality regardless of when wilting occurred.