Hussain, S: Sunflower Chemistry

Sunflower is the world fourth most important sources of edible oil. A lot of work has been done for varietals improvement through conventional breeding in Pakistan. In the present work, 16 cultivars (open pollinated population OPP and hybrid population HP eight each) of sunflower was evaluated. The study was aimed at evaluating the mineral composition, estimation of moisture contents, measuring electrical conductivity and 100 seeds weight. The mineral composition was fractionated though Atomic Absorption Spectrometer, which indicate that Zn+2 was 8.54 and 9.35%; Cu+2 0.5 and 0.02%; Mn+2 3.48 and 9.72%; Co+2 18.67 and 16.81%; Mg+2 68.27 and 83.53%; Fe+3 4.32 and 4.35% were estimated in HP and OPP respectively. Similarly, moisture contents and and 1000-seeds weight were calculated in the HP and OPP respectively. In comparative picture the mineral concentration, moisture contents and 1000 seeds weight in open pollinated population were high as compared to hybrid. A total of 11.7 % genetic diversity was observed in mineral composition of both the populations. The EC was high in HP ranging from 70. 85 137.8, while comparatively low in OPP.