Objective The technical objective of the project has been to improve sunflower dehulling using well suited cultivars and new industrial facilities. The approach has been to develop a rapid test determining the dehulling aptitude of small samples of seeds, to study the variability of dehulling aptitude according to genetic and environmental conditions, and to optimize seed treatment between harvest and crushing.Sunflower production has increased considerably in the European Community during recent years, and sunflower oil is now one the the most important sources of lipids in human nutrition. So far, improving oil content and yield have been the main objectives of plant breeders. Sunflower meal can also be used in animal feedstuffs, but the quantity that can be incorporated is limited by its low energy and protein content. The economic objective of the project is to improve the nutritional value of sunflower meal by increasing its energy content. One of the ways of doing this is to remove the hull of the achenes, which is composed largely of cellulose, as it does not have any digestive value in monogastric diets. Industrial dehullers already exist and several plants are equipped with such facilities, but they tend to be inefficient in that the dehulling rate is very variable and it is difficult ot obtain meal with a protein content higher thant 37% where rough estimations show that 50% should be possible. The technical objective of the project is to improve sunflower dehulling with well suited cultivars and new industrial facilities. The approach will be as follows : - To develop a rapid test determining the dehulling aptitude of small samples of seeds; laboratory prototypes will be built. - To study the variability of dehulling aptitude according to the genetic and environmental conditions; attention will be paid to correlation between dehulling aptitude and other criteria from non-destructive methods. - To optimise seed treatment between harvest and crushing. Fields of science natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteinsnatural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculeslipidsagricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculturegrains and oilseedsoilseedsmedical and health scienceshealth sciencesnutrition Programme(s) FP2-ECLAIR - First multiannual programme (EEC) for biotechnology-based agro-industrial research and technological development (ECLAIR), 1988-1993 Topic(s) Data not available Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme CSC - Cost-sharing contracts Coordinator CENTRE TECHNIQUE INTERPROFESSIONNEL DES OLEAGINEUX METROPOLITAINS EU contribution No data Address Avenue Georges V, 12 PARIS France See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data Participants (5) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all Comexol SA France EU contribution No data Address 45,Avenue George V 75379 Paris See on map Total cost No data HYDROMÉCANIQUE ET FROTTEMENT R&D SA France EU contribution No data Address Zone Industrielle Sud, Rue Benoit Fourneyron 42166 ANDREZIEUX-BOUTHEON See on map Total cost No data Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) France EU contribution No data Address Domaine de Crouëlle 63039 Clermont-Ferrand See on map Total cost No data Junta de Andalucía Spain EU contribution No data Address 1,Avda de la Borbolla 41004 Sevilla See on map Total cost No data Università degli Studi di Pisa Italy EU contribution No data Address Via Santa Maria degli Scalzi 2 56126 Pisa See on map Total cost No data