Determination of oil content and fatty acid composition of sesame mutants suited for intensive management conditions

Sesame mutants with closed capsules, determinate growth habit and wilt resistance, have been proposed to be suitable for intensive management conditions facilitating mechanized harvesting. The objective of our experiment was to determine the oil content and fatty acid composition of these mutants before they are placed on the market. Oil content and fatty acids were studied in 19 mutants, 6 breeding lines and 4 control source genotypes. The oil contents of the seeds ranged from 46.4 to 62.7%. The mutants had generally a lower oil content than the control genotypes except the wilting tolerant group. For unsaturated fatty acids, oleic acid was higher in the mutants and breeding lines while linoleic acid was lower in the seed oil. However, no mutants or breeding lines were found with radically different composition or with any undesirable lipid component. The closed capsule and determinate growth habit mutants need to be improved for oil content while their fatty acid composition is fine.