| Abstract
| - Peanut seeds contain approximately 50% oil on a dry weight basis, making them a high fat food.Reduction of the oil content would make peanuts a more desirable food to fat conscious consumers.Removal of existing oil by processing is not feasible for in-shell peanuts, the dominant product of theNorth Carolina−Virginia area. To reduce oil content in in-shell peanuts, a genetic solution must befound. However, while reduced oil content is a desirable objective, changes in oil must not beaccompanied by significant decreases in any of the desirable aspects of peanut flavor. Because theimpact of selection for low or high oil on flavor is not known, it would be useful to know in what formdry matter is being stored in the seed, particularly if it is not being stored as oil. Screening of 584accessions identified two lines (PI 269723 and PI 315608) with high and two (Robusto 2 and Robusto3) with low oil contents, each pair differing in sugar content. The four parents were crossed in diallelfashion to investigate patterns of inheritance. General combining abilities (GCA) for oil content closelyfollowed values of the parental lines. One low oil parent (Robusto 2) had a correspondingly elevatedGCA for sugar content, but neither low oil parent had the effect of elevating starch in progeny.Reciprocal cross differences were found for starch and sugar contents, suggesting influences ofcytoplasmic genes on those traits. These lines serve as resource material for researchers interestedin the genetic and physiological aspects of the oil−sugar−starch relationship in peanuts. Keywords: General combining ability; GCA; specific combining ability; SCA; maternal effect; reciprocaleffect
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