Oil content in maize is an indicator of crude fat content in the grain, which for breeding purposes varies from 3–5% in commercial samples to 7.5% in specialized lines.
In the reference
7
varieties
crop Maize,
where this is mentioned in the description.
The oil content in maize grain is determined primarily by the mass fraction of the embryo, where up to 60% of the fat is concentrated, while its content in the endosperm does not exceed 1%. When breeding for this trait, the main objective is to increase the relative size of the embryo to enhance the product's energy value and the efficiency of its industrial processing.
High fat content increases the feed efficiency of maize as a component of compound feeds, but requires consideration of technological risks. Increased metabolic activity and the susceptibility of fats to oxidation at high oil content levels can affect grain storage protocols, although this parameter is not a standard for commercial intake.
General information about the subject — on the page
Oil content.
Selection based on the description text, not on official evaluation: these data are absent from registers. For specific variety details, please refer to its profile.