Modern trends in breeding and genetic improvement of sunflower varieties and hybrids at VNIIMK

Modern sunflower breeding is significantly diversified due to the different needs of agricultural production. The breeding of sunflower varieties and hybrids is carried out at V.S. Pustovoit All-Russian Research Institute of Oil Crops (VNIIMK) in all areas in demand on the market and is based on fundamental biological research. In the field of breeding for faster maturing, the following commercial cultivars were obtained: very early maturing, cv. Skormas and the three-way hybrid Achilles, early maturing cvs. Varyag and Uspekh, medium maturing cvs. Amelie, Aris and Aurus. Within the framework of breeding for immunity, eight hybrids and one variety have been produced. So at the Don experimental station (Rostov region), productive hybrids were bred, resistant to the virulent broomrape of the G race due to the presence of the Or7 gene: ‘Gorstar’, ‘Gorfild’, ‘Grant’, ‘Status’, ‘Fogor’ and the three-way hybrid Nika. On the central experimental base, the following were obtained: the mid-early hybrid Typhoon and the earlymaturing variety Platonych with resistance to common races of downy mildew and a high oil content of achenes (up to 53 %) as well as the mid-early hybrid Tayzar, which is simultaneously resistant to virulent races of broomrape and to the causative agent of downy mildew. The early maturing large-fruited sunflower variety Belochka was included in the“Russian State Register of Selection Achievements…”, and the large-fruited varieties Karavan, Konditer and Kalibr are currently undergoing state tests. The breeding use of germplasm with genes for herbicide resistance wasaccompanied by their extensive genetic study. A practical recommendation for all three alleles of the ALS gene (Imr, CLHA-Plus, Sur) was the need to create homozygous hybrids for their reliable use in appropriate production systems. For Clearfield technology, the hybrids Imidzh, Arimi and Immi have been developed; for Clearfield Plus, the hybrid Klip; and for Express Sun (or SUMO), the hybrid Surus. Klip and Surus are mid-oleic. All newly developed fertile ornamental sunflower varieties – Aurelia, Fizalia, Zhemchuzhny, Rumyanets, Agat and Mazhor – were transferred for practical use to a sterile CMS RIG basis. Thus, new achievements have been attained across the entire spectrum of modern trends in sunflower breeding

Nasleđivanje povećanog sadržaja oleinske kiseline u ulju suncokreta

The inheritance of increased (mid) oleic acid content about 62% of an inbred line, LG27, was studied in the crosses with high oleic HA89OL (89%), high oleic LG26OL (86%) and low oleic LG28 (22%). Fatty acid composition of single seeds was determined by gas chromatography of methyl esters. The crosses of high x increased oleic and high x low oleic genotypes revealed the genetic control on oleic acid content with multiple allelism. Three alleles of one gene - dominant Ol, recessive ol1 and recessive ol lead in homozygote to the high, increased and low oleic phenotypes, respectively. Genetic segregations in F2 and BC of the cross of increased x low oleic lines did not show clear-cut phenotypic classes. No maternal inheritance was observed. .Nasleđivanje sadržaja oleinske kiseline proučavano je kod inbred linije sa povišenim (srednjim) sadržajem oleinske kiseline. LG27 (oko 62%) ukrštane su visoko-oleinskom linijom HA890L (89%), visoko-oleinskom linijom LG260L (86%) i nisko-oleinskom linijom LG28 (22%). Sastav masnih kiselina kod pojedinačnih zrna utvrđivan je gasnom hromatografijom metil estera. Ukrštanjem genotipova sa visokim i povećanim sadržajem oleinske kiseline i genotipova sa visokim i niskim sadržajem utvrđeno je da se sadržaj oleinske kiseline nalazi pod genetskom kontrolom više alela. Tri alela jednoga gena - dominantna Ol, recesivna ol1 i recesivna ol - dovode do stvaranja homozigotnih fenotipova sa visokim, povišenim i niskim sadržajem oleinske kiseline. Genetska razdvajanja u F2 i BC generacijama ukrštanja genotipova sa povišenim i niskim sadržajem oleinske kiseline nisu ukazala na jasno izdvojene fenotipske kategorije. Takođe nije utvrđeno prisustvo majčinskog nasleđivanja.

Oleic acid variation and marker-assisted detection of Pervenets mutation in high- and low-oleic sunflower cross

High-oleic sunflower oil is in high demand on the market due to its heart-healthy properties and richness in monounsaturated fatty acids that makes it more stable in processing than standard sunflower oil. Consequently, one of sunflower breeder's tasks is to develop stable high-oleic sunflower genotypes that will produce high quality oil. We analyzed variability and inheritance of oleic acid content (OAC) in sunflower, developed at the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, by analyzing F-1 and F-2 progeny obtained by crossing a standard linoleic and high-oleic inbred line. F-2 individuals were classified in two groups: low-oleic with OAC of 15.24-31.28% and high-oleic with OAC of 62.49-93.82%. Monogenic dominant inheritance was observed. Additionally, several molecular markers were tested for the use in marker-assisted selection in order to shorten the period of detecting high-oleic genotypes. Marker F4-R1 was proven to be the most efficient in detection of genotypes with Pervenets (high-oleic acid) mutation

Modern trends in breeding and genetic improvement of sunflower varieties and hybrids at VNIIMK

Modern sunflower breeding is significantly diversified due to the different needs of agricultural production. The breeding of sunflower varieties and hybrids is carried out at V.S. Pustovoit All-Russian Research Institute of Oil Crops (VNIIMK) in all areas in demand on the market and is based on fundamental biological research. In the field of breeding for faster maturing, the following commercial cultivars were obtained: very early maturing, cv. Skormas and the three-way hybrid Achilles, early maturing cvs. Varyag and Uspekh, medium maturing cvs. Amelie, Aris and Aurus. Within the framework of breeding for immunity, eight hybrids and one variety have been produced. So at the Don experimental station (Rostov region), productive hybrids were bred, resistant to the virulent broomrape of the G race due to the presence of the Or7 gene: ‘Gorstar’, ‘Gorfild’, ‘Grant’, ‘Status’, ‘Fogor’ and the three-way hybrid Nika. On the central experimental base, the following were obtained: the mid-early hybrid Typhoon and the earlymaturing variety Platonych with resistance to common races of downy mildew and a high oil content of achenes (up to 53 %) as well as the mid-early hybrid Tayzar, which is simultaneously resistant to virulent races of broomrape and to the causative agent of downy mildew. The early maturing large-fruited sunflower variety Belochka was included in the“Russian State Register of Selection Achievements…”, and the large-fruited varieties Karavan, Konditer and Kalibr are currently undergoing state tests. The breeding use of germplasm with genes for herbicide resistance wasaccompanied by their extensive genetic study. A practical recommendation for all three alleles of the ALS gene (Imr, CLHA-Plus, Sur) was the need to create homozygous hybrids for their reliable use in appropriate production systems. For Clearfield technology, the hybrids Imidzh, Arimi and Immi have been developed; for Clearfield Plus, the hybrid Klip; and for Express Sun (or SUMO), the hybrid Surus. Klip and Surus are mid-oleic. All newly developed fertile ornamental sunflower varieties – Aurelia, Fizalia, Zhemchuzhny, Rumyanets, Agat and Mazhor – were transferred for practical use to a sterile CMS RIG basis. Thus, new achievements have been attained across the entire spectrum of modern trends in sunflower breeding.</jats:p

Inheritance of Tribenuron-Methyl Tolerance in Sunflower

AbstractThe genetic stocks of SURES-1 and SURES-2 showed complete tolerance to tribenuron-methyl. No resistance were obtained after observation on 200,000 plants of four VNIIMK breeding lines grown on an experimental field with total area of 5 ha treated with Express at 1x rate. Potential frequency of a dominant gene for tolerance to tribenuron-methyl was estimated less than 5×10−6. Moreover screening both of 700 plants of 39 inbred lines of the genetic collection and 800 plants of M2 four breeding lines did not reveal any resistance. Tolerance to tribenuron-methyl in F1 and F2 in the crosses of SURES-1 and SURES-2 with VNIIMK breeding lines was controlled by one dominant gene. All recessive homozygous hybrid plants of sur sur genotype in the cross were dead with phytotoxicity index of 9 after Express treatment at any rate of tribenuron-methyl from 0.5x to 4x. Heterozygous hybrid plants of Sur sur genotype showed no injury symptoms at 0.5x rate and increasing level of phytotoxicity index of 4, 6 and 7 for 1x, 2x and 4x rates correspondingly. Dominant homozygous hybrid plants of Sur Sur genotype possessed no injury symptoms from 0.5x to 2x rates whereas the phytotoxicity index of 4 was observed at the 4x rate. Consequently there was no difference between dominant homozygote Sur Sur and heterozygote Sur sur with phytotoxicity index of 0 at 0.5x rate. Allelic interaction in a heterozygote Sur sur can vary from complete to partial dominance in accordance with increasing rate of tribenuron-methyl treatment estimating with the phenotypic scale of phytotoxicity index.</jats:p

Variability of reproductive traits in sunflower genotypes with different content of fatty acids and tocopherols in seeds

The aim of the work was to study the reproductive characteristics of sunflower genotypes with altered composition of fatty acids and tocopherols in seeds. Studies were conducted in 2017, 2020 and 2022 at the VNIIMK, Krasnodar. The material was a high oleic hybrid of sunflower Oxy with a modified composition of tocopherols, as well as its maternal VK 876 and male VK 195 parent lines. Moreover 19 samples of the genetic collection were studied. The assessment of bee attendance showed significant hereditary variability from 98 to 0.5 bee/plant/hour. The Oxy confirmed a low level of bee attendance, on average, 14 bee/plant/hour. The lines with the maximum values of bee attendance MVG-8 and K 2479 showed a greater amount of nectar and a high level of its sugar content than the genotypes with the minimum values of bee attendance. The data obtained confirm the main role of the nectar of tubular flowers in the pollinator attractiveness. The Oxy had a low pollen grain diameter of 29 microns, a high proportion of defective pollen grains of 37%, a low level of self-fertility of 19% and the seed setting of 47%. The transmission of these negative traits to the hybrid comes from the maternal line of VK 876, and not from the male form of VK 195, which is characterized by normal reproductive traits. The content of oleic acid did not significantly correlate with any of the seven reproductive traits. Correlation coefficients were established: the amount of nectar – bee attendance (0.57), the amount of nectar – sugar content of nectar (0.55), the amount of nectar – the number of defective pollen grains (-0.55), the number of defective pollen grains – self-fertility (-0.72), the number of defective pollen grains – seed setting (-0.47) and a self-fertility – seed setting (0.60). Mutations of high oleic Ol and the composition of tocopherols tph1 and tph2 did not have a pleiotropic effect on reproductive traits in the lines of the genetic collection.</jats:p