Protein, starch, amino and fatty acids content in corn hybrids developed at NARDI Fundulea in natural climatic conditions.

Corn is one of the most important crops in Romanian agriculture. Cultivated area varies little from year to year, ranging between 2.7 to 3.0 million hectares. Corn has the greatest production potential and also the widest range of uses of all the grain crops. The NARDI-Fundulea’s program for improving protein quality in corn hybrids was initiated in 1967 when first source of genes responsible for the synthesis of lysine and tryptophan amino acids were introduced, namely, opaque two (o2) and floury-2 (fl 2). Currently, at NARDI, there is an intensive breeding program aiming the create valuable hybrids for both productive potential and quality traits through the use of valuable genetic resources (genes) for high protein content, improving local populations, and inducing endosperm modifier genes in opaque hybrids. The analysis for essential amino acids, protein content and protein quality, made between 2011 and 2013, has shown that the average protein content was 9.77% with a maximum of 10.6% in Olimpius corn hybrid. The average amino acid content was 7.53%, with a maximum of 8.41% in F 165/11 hybrid. The average content of essential amino acids was 2.71%; average lysine content 0.26%.Next to high content of protein and essential amino acids NARDI’s corn hybrids are rich in fatty acids. Average fat content in top hybrids was 4.53%. F 376 and Mosti tea corn hybrids had the highest fatty acids content compared to the average (F 376 (5.00%) and 4.93% Mosti tea).