Genetic and Environmental Effects on Fatty Acid Composition in Soybeans with Potential Use in the Automotive Industry

Environmental effects on quantitative traits such as seed oil fatty acid composition in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] can significantly affect the performance of a given genotype when exposed to varying growing conditions. High linoleic acid oils have the potential to be used as raw materials for the production of polyols and polyurethane that can be used in the automotive industry. The objectives of this study were (i) to determine the sources of variation affecting seed oil fatty acids profiles and (ii) to evaluate stabil ity of soybean genotypes with different fatty acids across different environments. Fifty-six soybean genotypes with altered fatty acid composition selected from two recombinant inbred line populations segregating for saturated and linoleic acids were used along with commercial high yielding cultivars. All genotypes were evaluated in southwestern Ontario, Canada, at three locations in 2008 and two locations in 2009, and data was collected for fatty acid composition as well as other seed and agronomic traits. Combined analysis of variances showed significant location and genotype  location effects for stearic and oleic acids. Genotype  environment effect was significant for unsaturated fatty acids plus seed oil and protein concentrations. The effect of genotype  year was significant for unsaturated fatty acids. Stability analyses using Francis and Kannenberg’s mean coefficient of variation stability, Shukla’s stability variance statistic ( 2 ), and Lin and Binns cultivar superiority measure identified genotypes E-49 and E-14 as being superior for high linoleic and low saturated fatty acids oil production for potential use in the automotive industry.