Irrigation has little effect on unsaturated fatty acid content in soya bean seed oil within genotypes differing in fatty acid profile

Soya bean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] genotypes with modified unsaturated fatty acid profiles in seed oil have been developed. Higher oleic (18:1) and lower linolenic (18:3) acids are desirable for increased use of soya bean oil in food and industrial applications. The environment affects levels of unsaturated fatty acids in soya bean and it is important that desired components of seed oil are produced across a range of growing conditions. Our objective was to determine whether irrigation affects fatty acid levels in soya bean with altered fatty acid profiles. Seven modified oil genotypes which included elevated oleic acids, and/or reduced linolenic acid, along with two common soya bean varieties were evaluated with and without irrigation (rain fed) in four environments in each of 2 years. Irrigation generally had no significant influence on unsaturated fatty acid accumulation in seed oil in soya bean genotypes with altered fatty acid profiles. However, irrigation tended to show desirable effects on 18:1 and 18:3 contents in the genotypes studied. Oleic acid tended to be higher in eight of the nine genotypes and linolenic acid was lower in six of the nine genotypes under irrigation vs. rain fed treatments.