Genotypic and environmental variability and stability of seed yield, oil content and fatty acids in high-oleic and high-linoleic safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) lines and cultivars

The present study was to determine the genotypic and environmental variability and stability in seed yield, oil content, oil yield, oleic and linoleic acid of 10 safflower lines derived from a cross of Dincer 5-18-1 x Montola 2000 together with six cultivars under six environments at five locations. The effects of genotypes, environments and genotype x environment interactions were highly significant (P < 0.01) for seed yield and oil content. Averaged across all environments, the seed yield was lowest in the cultivar Olas (2 352 kg/ha), and highest in the line Bay-Er 5 (2 869 kg/ha). According to mean (xi) and regression coefficient (bi) values, the Bay-Er 16 was better adapted to unfavourable environmental conditions, whereas the Bay-Er 1, Bay-Er 5 and Bay-Er 14 were better adapted to favourable environmental conditions. The highest oil content across environments, over 35%, was recorded in the line Bay-Er 15 and the cultivars Olas and Linas. The best adaptability to the environments was observed in the cultivar Olas. The oleic acid content of genotypes increased and the linoleic acid contents decreased from the north to the. The oil content of genotypes grown in Southeastern Anatolia was higher than the the other regions. Within the regions seed yield and oil content was higher after autumn sowing than after spring sowing.