Registration of Sunflower Genetic Stocks TOCO B1, TOCO R1, and TOCO R2 with High Gamma- and Delta- Tocopherol and Altered Fatty Acid Composition in the Seed Oil

A primary concern of oilseed sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) breeders in developing commercial hybrids is the constitution of the oil product, particularly the fatty acid composition. Over time, mutation breeding and selection have led to sunflower varieties with very high levels of oleic acid, which increases oxidative stability of the oil. This is beneficial particularly to those food industries that use vegetable oil for frying food. Tocopherols are lipophilic antioxidants that protect vegetable oils from oxidative degradation and that vary in their antioxidant activity. TOCO B1 (Reg. no. GS-62, PI 690443), TOCO R1 (Reg. no. GS-63, PI 690444), and TOCO R2 (Reg. no. GS-64, PI 690445) contain mutations that increase the gamma- and delta-tocopherol level of the seed, leading to a more stable vegetable oil product. TOCO B1 also possesses an oil profile high in oleic acid. These lines were released by the USDA-ARS and North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station, Fargo, ND, to fill the need for novel sunflower oil products in the sunflower industry.