Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is one of the widely cultivated oilseed crops, mainly grown for seed yield and oil content. Its oil contains saturated and unsaturated fatty acids with different biochemical composition which determine the quality and it differs with different hybrids improving the nutritional value for human health. To study their accumulation pattern, research was conducted in six contrasting hybrids differing in oleic acid content (high, mid and low types). During seed development stage, increase in accumulation of oleic acid up to harvest was observed for mid (KBSH-44 & DRSH-1) and high (PAC 3794 & RSFH-1) oleic hybrids. In low oleic hybrids (KBSH-71 & RSFH130) oleic acid content increased up to 16 DAA and decreased thereafter. Linoleic acid increased during seed development only in low types compared to mid and high types. Seed oil content increased with decreased seed moisture. Correlation between oil and unsaturated fatty acid accumulation was different in hybrids. Negative correlation was observed between oil and linoleic acid accumulation in mid and high oleic. In our study, climatic factors did not show any effect on accumulation pattern of major fatty acids in hybrids and it was mainly due to their respective genotypic characters.

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