AGRE-0039 Seed Oils for New Technical Applications SONCA

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Biotechnology : Bulk Chemicals : ECLAIR Cluster I - Oils : Paints/Coatings/Plastics : Plant Genetics : Vegetable Oil/Fat

Euphorbia lagascae producing seedoil with vernolic acid in a plot test in Göttingen

SUMMARY

This project, supported under the ECLAIR Programme and completed at 31 January 1995, aimed to produce vegetable oils which could be used as raw materials within industries which currently use petrochemicals. At present a large proportion of the global vegetable oil production is used for food, although significant amounts are used in existing applications for products such as lubricants, surfactants and paints. Such applications, from a technical viewpoint, depend on the characteristics of the oils and of their fatty acids in particular. These can differ from plant species to plant species in the relative amounts, chain length and degree of saturation (number and position of double bonds). At present some industrial niches are occupied by products from specific plants, such as oil palm, soya or castor bean, which are imported into the EU. The objective here was to increase the local availability of vegetable oil sources suitable for industrial use. Two approaches were taken.: the first took advantage of current developments in plant genetics to select varieties of established oilcrops (rapeseed and sunflower) which could produce oil of the quality required for industrial applications; the second attempted to improve the agronomy of three plant species (coriander, Euphorbia lagascae and Cuphea) which have the capacity to produce oils containing high proportions of unusual components such as petroselinic and vernolic acid, as well as medium chain fatty acids. The plant genetic materials developed in this project are being worked up by the private breeding partners to establish cultivar status and enable profitable agronomic production of the desired seed oils.

INTRODUCTION

The growth of seeds for vegetable oil production within the European Union is dominated by use for food with by-products often passing into the animal feed market. As a result, plant breeding and agronomic practices have concentrated on meeting the demands of these industries in terms of the chemical composition of the oils and their corresponding quality characteristics. This project aimed at developing varieties of vegetable oil crops which could be grown within the EU and could be used to provide oils with a chemical composition suitable for substitution of petrochemical raw materials in manufactured products aimed at non-food markets. To do this, a large group of organisations were brought together which included the expertise to develop new plant genetic resources by both conventional breeding and application of biotechnological methods. This material was subject to field trials to evaluate the performance of genotypes and agronomic procedures. It was then investigated in terms of processing to optimise oil extraction. The resulting oils were subject to quality analysis and tested with respect to their suitability in various new applications, in particular as oleochemical raw materials and surfactant products.

APPROACH

Two alternative approaches were adopted. In the first approach established oil crops (rapeseed and sunflower), with known, relatively high, yield and established agricultural and processing procedures, were genetically selected to provide oil with the qualities required for industrial non-food applications, ie high erucic acid and oleic acid contents, respectively. In the second approach the three novel plant species (coriander, Euphorbia lagascae and Cuphea) were investigated. These cannot give economic yields of seed oil at present, but are of interest since they contain oil with proportions of unusual components (petroselinic, vernolic and medium chain fatty acids, respectively).

RAPE AND SUNFLOWER

For the rapeseed and sunflower work, high performing breeding lines were provided by member plant breeding companies. Methods such as in vitro cell culture for embryo rescue or protoplast fusion, as well as molecular markers and gene transfer, were used in conjunction with classical genetics and plant breeding. Genes controlling synthesis of erucic acid in rapeseed were compiled in high yielding varieties resulting in the first hybrid HEAR (High Erucic Acid Rapeseed) varieties. Germplasm for high oleic acid synthesis was combined in rapid crossing cycles and new genes selected by screening, after mutagenesis. High oleic sunflower genotypes exhibiting the necessary resistance against important diseases, such as Sclerotinia and Verticillium, were developed by application of techniques including interspecific hybridisation's and oligonucleotide finger-printing to produce high yielding F1 hybrid varieties. Plants were evaluated in extended field trials over 4 years at numerous sites in Mediterranean and Central-European regions. Products were characterised using instrumental analysis (capillary GLC, HPLC, NMR and NIRS) after conventional extraction.

NOVEL SPECIES

For these, genetic materials came from existing stocks, derived from earlier collections for scientific uses as in Cuphea, or from new germplasm which was obtained by expeditions to the centres of origin (as for Euphorbia lagascae in the Southeast of Spain). In coriander, agronomic traits and seed oil composition were determined in large breeding materials derived from variety materials or crossing. Field performance of selected lines was tested in comparative trials in Germany and Portugal. Pseudomonas infection was found to severely affect yields in rainy flowering seasons and, thus, the etiology of this disease was studied for successful control. Eventually, coriander was profitable produced at 15 different German locations with fields of up to one hectare in size. For Euphorbia, germplasm collected by two partners in South-eastern Spain was evaluated for agronomic and quality traits in Spain and also, to some extent, in Portugal and Germany. Since these seeds lacked variability, an extensive mutagenesis programme was conducted and indehiscent mutants were identified and evaluated. Field performance testing and agronomic optimisation was then continued with this improved material and small quantities of seeds were processed for application tests. For Cuphea, the unique collection of species available in Göttingen was subject to extensive field tests in Portugal.

TESTING

All the seed oils were tested by Henkel KGaA. Intermediates were synthesised for use in surfactants (ethoxylates, sulphates or fatty alcohol polyglycosides) and products characterised for solubility or biodegradability, with formulations tested for commercial applications.

COMMERCIALISATION

The first high yielding, high erucic acid hybrid rapeseed varieties will enter official trials in July 1995 or 1996. Other rapeseed forms with up to 90% oleic acid have been produced. Experimental sunflower hybrids with C18:1 as high as 87% were produced, some revealing an improved yield potential and disease resistance as compared to commercial hybrids. However, more work is required in this area. Coriander genotypes were selected with promising high seed yields (about 2 t/ha) and seed oil contents (about 23%). The agricultural potentials of this species were confirmed in field scale productions (total of 30 ha). Yields, however, dropped to half in cases of disease epidemics caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae. With the establishment of indehiscence in Euphorbia lagascae mutants, a high production potential was established with seed yields of more than 2.5 t/ha, high seed oil (42%) and vernolic acid contents (60% of total fatty acid content in the oil). Registered varieties may be ready within another 3 to 5 years. For Cuphea it became apparent that an economic production under Mediterranean conditions will not be possible unless stable non-shedding genotypes become available - despite of extensive efforts these have not been found so far. Some of the plant genetic material produced is being worked up to cultivar status to enable agronomic production of the desired seed oils.

PARTICIPANTS

The Project was directed by a private plant breeding company, Norddeutsche Pflanzenzucht and coordinated by the Institute of Plant Breeding of the Georg-August University at Göttingen in Germany. Sixteen partners from 5 Member States included 3 plant breeding firms, 2 commercial seed companies, 9 public research institutions and 2 industrial companies: Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen (D), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique - INRA (F), Universita degli Studi di Pisa (I), Universita degli Studi Udine (I), Centro Regional de Investigationes Agrarias - CRIA (E), Estacao Agronomica National - EAN (P), Serasem (F), Semundo Italia SRL. (I), Baslini SpA (I), Portusem-Sementes (P), Agrotecnia de Semillas SA (E), Henkel KGaA (D).