Dr. Rajesh . S. Patil and Dr. Shreekanth. S. Patil. University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, ARS Dharwad Farm, 580 007, Dharwad, India
Cottonseed is the world’s second largest source of edible oil and is also among the most unsaturated oils, a desirable dietary attribute. In India, the growth in demand for cottonseed oil is projected to increase at the rate of 6 % annually. In this backdrop, oil content in 72 elite lines of the different cultivated species grown at Raichur was estimated. Intra-hirsutum hybrids had the highest mean oil content (16.72 %) followed by arboreums (16.35 %), compact hirsutum cultivars (14.14 %), hirsutum cultivars (13.33 %) and then lastly, herbaceums (13.12 %). The highest oil content was recorded by RAHH-177 (18.44 %), an intra-hirsutum hybrid. Among all cultivars tested, RACH-11-1, a compact hirsutum cultivar showed the highest oil content of 18.01 %. Intercrosses among the genotypes of each species group have been initiated from which higher oil content will be selected. Emphasis also will be directed toward oil quality, i.e., increasing oleic acid content and eliminating gossypol.
