Experiments were conducted to determine the effect of triglycerides, free fatty acids (FFA), and fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) on the foliar absorption, translocation, and phytotoxicity of quizalofop. Absorption, translocation, and phytotoxicity of quizalofop in oats were greater when quizalofop was applied with FFA or FAME than with their respective triglycerides. Triglycerides and FFA generally enhanced quizalofop absorption and translocation more when they contained unsaturated than saturated fatty acids. Methylation of the fatty acids reduced differences among fatty acids, but methyl stearate and methyl linolenate enhanced absorption of quizalofop less than the other FAME for oats and yellow foxtail. Quizalofop absorption and phytotoxicity to oats were greater when applied with sunflower oil, sunflower oil FFA, and sunflower oil FAME than with the corresponding linseed oil derivatives. Emulsifier generally reduced differences between linseed oil and sunflower oil derivatives in their enhancement of absorption, translocation, and phytotoxicity of quizalofop.

Absorption and translocation of 14C following 14C-fluazifop {(±)-2-[4-[[5-(trifluoromethyl)-2-pyridinyl] oxy] phenoxy] propanoic acid} butyl ester and 14C-sethoxydim {2-[1-(ethoxyimino)butyl]-5-[2-(ethylthio)propyl]-3-hydroxy-2-cyclohexen-1-one} application to oats (Avena sativa L. ‘Lyon’) was greater when the herbicides were applied with oleic acid, linoleic acid, or fatty acid methyl esters compared to various triglycerides. The methyl esters of stearic, oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acids enhanced 14C absorption and translocation when applied with 14C-fluazifop and 14C-sethoxydim, except that the methyl ester of stearic acid did not enhance 14C absorption and translocation when applied with 14C-sethoxydim. The absorption and translocation of 14C following the application of 14C-CGA-82725 {(±)-2-[4-(3,5-dichloro-2-pyridyloxy)phenoxy] propanoic acid)-2-propynylester}, 14C-diclofop {(±)-2-[4-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenoxy] propanoic acid}, 14C-fluazifop, and 14C-sethoxydim were generally enhanced equally or greater by the methyl ester of sunflower (Helianthus annum L.) oil than by petroleum oil additive or once refined sunflower oil. Methylated sunflower oil was equally or more effective as an additive than petroleum oil in enhancing grass control with fluazifop and sethoxydim in a field experiment.

Experiments were conducted in the greenhouse and the field to determine the influence of various oil adjuvants on small grain and grass weed susceptibility to foliarly applied BAS-514 OO H (BAS-514). Barnyardgrass, green foxtail, and yellow foxtail were more susceptible to BAS-514 at 0.56 kg ai ha-1 applied with than without an oil adjuvant. Shoot fresh weight reductions of barnyardgrass, green foxtail, and yellow foxtail were greater when BAS-514 at 0.56 kg ha-1 was applied with a methylated seed oil than with a petroleum oil adjuvant in the greenhouse. Differences in the effectiveness among oil adjuvants in enhancing BAS-514 phytotoxicity were more evident in greenhouse than in field experiments. Oil adjuvant enhancement of BAS-514 varied with plant species. Oats, hard red spring wheat, and winter wheat tolerated BAS-514 at 1.1 kg ha-1 foliarly applied with or without an oil adjuvant in the greenhouse. BAS-514 at 0.56 kg ha-1 applied with oil adjuvants caused less than 5% injury to wheat in the field.

Blessed thistle is an important medicinal crop in Europe and recently has become more significant in North America. A limiting factor in blessed thistle production is weed interference. Field experiments were conducted near Plovdiv, Bulgaria, to study the effect of selected herbicides on weed control, crop productivity, and crop quality. Seed yields of blessed thistle were increased with metribuzin alone at 0.5 kg ai/ha, pendimethalin alone 1.32 kg ai/ha, pendimethalin at 1.32 kg ai/ha plus metribuzin at 0.5 kg ai/ha, trifluralin at 0.84 kg ai/ha plus linuron at 1.0 kg ai/ha, and in the hand-weeded control compared to the nonweeded control (nontreated check). Pendimethalin and metribuzin were safe both alone and in combination for weed control in blessed thistle. Bentazon at 0.96 kg ai/ha inhibited blessed thistle development and reduced seed yields compared to the untreated check. Generally, weed control increased the content of silymarin and decreased the amount of seed oil. Overall, seeds contained 0.26 to 0.36% taxifolin, 0.69 to 0.99% silydianin plus silycristin, 1.31 to 1.78% silybin, and 0.27 to 0.39 % isosilybin.

Seeds of wild and cultivated species of Luffa were studied to determine the variability in morphological (seed size, colour, seed-coat surface and 100-seed weight) and biochemical (oil and protein) characteristics. A total of 80 accessions of three cultivated species (71 accessions) and three wild species (9 accessions) of Luffa under the present investigation from diverse regions (12 states of five regions) of India showed variations in seed size, colour, seed-coat surface, 100-seed weight, and seed protein and oil contents both within the accessions of the same species and between different species. Significant variability in seed morphological traits was observed. Both seed oil and soluble seed protein contents were highest in some accessions of the cultivated species (25–27% oil and 8–10% protein, respectively, on a fresh seed weight basis). Using the 2D scatter plot diagram derived from the principal components analysis, the morphological and biochemical traits of the 80 Luffa accessions classified the wild species into one cluster (cluster I) and the cultivated species into a second major cluster (cluster II). The present investigation on the correlation between seed morphology and biochemical traits in the cultivated and wild species of Luffa can help in identifying the genotypes of Luffa species with valuable traits for further exploring the potential of this valuable crop as a source of edible oil, food and fodder in edible seed types or as a source of industrial oil/biodiesel in non-edible seed types. The protein-rich seed could be further explored to be utilized in the fortification of food products for value addition.

Five Euphorbiaceae species (Jatropha macrocarpa, J. hieronymi, J. excisa, Cnidoscolus tubulosus and Manihot guaranitica) were analysed for seed oil content and fatty acid profiles in order to evaluate their potential as sources of biodiesel. The five species are perennial shrubs adapted to arid and semi-arid environments of north-western Argentina. The seed oil content for all species ranged from 27.9 to 38.7% by dry weight. Fatty acid composition consisted mainly of linolenic, myristic, palmitic, stearic, arachidic, oleic and linoleic acids, with linoleic and oleic acid being the most abundant. Among the five species analysed, J. macrocarpa has the best potential to be used as a biodiesel source. The average total seed oil content (35.8%) and a high value of oleic acid (27.3%) together with the lowest values of linoleic acid (55.8%) make this species a promising crop as a source of biodiesel in arid and semi-arid regions.

Cotton (Gossypium spp.) is an important source of edible oil and protein meals. Complex genetics and strong environmental effects hinder progress in seed quality trait breeding in this species. The use of molecular markers can improve an understanding of the genetic factors conditioning seed quality traits, and is expected to assist in selection of superior genotypes. This study was conducted to identify quantitative trail loci (QTL) associated with seed physical and nutrient traits in cotton. To achieve this objective, a population of 140 BC1S1 lines developed from a cross between ‘TM-1’ and ‘Hai7124’ was evaluated in 2003 and 2004. A linkage map consisting of 918 markers from this population was used to identify QTL using QTLNetwork-2.0 software. Eleven single QTL were identified for kernel percentage, kernel oil percentage, kernel protein percentage and seven amino acids (Asp, Ser, Gly, Ile, Leu, Phe and Arg). Phenotypic variation explained by each individual QTL ranged from 10.89 to 46.28%. Two epistatic QTL for Cys and Leu were detected, explaining 9.55 and 4.43% of the phenotypic variation. These QTL detected for seed quality traits in cotton are expected to be useful for further breeding programmes targeting development of cotton with improved nutrient quality.