Effects of Different Sowing Times and Densities on Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) Seeds’ Oil Ratios and Fatty Acids

Yıl 2016, Cilt: 5 Sayı: 11, 70 - 78, 20.12.2016

Güngör Yılmaz Ahmet Kınay Mahfuz Elmastaş

Öz

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of different sowing times (summer and winter), row spacings (25 and 50 cm) and intra-row spacings (10, 20, 30 and 40 cm) on Milk Thistle seeds’ oil ratios and fatty acids. The results obtained demonstrate that the oil ratio in Milk Thistle seeds ranges from 22.02% to 25.97% and the effects of different sowing densities on oil ratio are statistically insignificant. Furthermore, oil ratio is approximately 3.9% higher in summer sowing than that in winter sowing. In terms of fatty acids, the ratios of linoleic acid, oleic acid, palmitic acid, and stearic acid in winter sowing and summer sowing are 43.77% and 46.87%, 31.31% and 28.78%, 8.93% and 8.47%, and 6.72% and 6.68%, respectively