Due to the increased demand for sunflower production, its breeding assignment is the intensification of the development of highly productive oil seed hybrids to satisfy the edible oil industry. ...Sunflower Oil Yield Prediction (SOYP) can help breeders to identify desirable new hybrids with high oil yield and their characteristics using machine learning (ML) algorithms. In this study, we developed ML models to predict oil yield using two sets of features. Moreover, we evaluated the most relevant features for accurate SOYP. ML algorithms that were used and compared were Artificial Neural Network (ANN), Support Vector Regression, K-Nearest Neighbour, and Random Forest Regressor (RFR). The dataset consisted of samples for 1250 hybrids of which 70% were randomly selected and were used to train the model and 30% were used to test the model and assess its performance. Employing MAE, MSE, RMSE and R2 evaluation metrics, RFR consistently outperformed in all datasets, achieving a peak of 0.92 for R2 in 2019. In contrast, ANN recorded the lowest MAE, reaching 65 in 2018 The paper revealed that in addition to seed yield, the following characteristics of hybrids were important for SOYP: resistance to broomrape (Or) and downy mildew (Pl) and maturity. It was also disclosed that the locality feature could be used for the estimation of sunflower oil yield but it is highly dependable on weather conditions that affect the oil content and seed yield. Up to our knowledge, this is the first study in which ML was used for sunflower oil yield prediction. The obtained results indicate that ML has great potential for application in oil yield prediction, but also selection of parental lines for hybrid production, RFR algorithm was found to be the most effective and along with locality feature is going to be further evaluated as an alternative method for genotypic selection.
Although flower pollinator interactions are known to be mediated by floral traits, not enough attention has been paid to the research of secretory tissues and volatile components of sunflower disc ...florets as potentially important parameters in breeding programs. (1) To our knowledge, this is the first integrated study aimed at better understanding the attractiveness of sunflower capitula to insects. In the study, we have made a very detailed comparative analysis of secretory tissues and the characterization of the volatile components (VOCs) of disc florets in 10 wild perennial
species. (2) For anatomical analyses, cross-sections were obtained from the nectary zone of disc florets using a cryotechnique procedure. Micromorphological observation and morphological and anatomical analysis of disc florets were performed using light and scanning electron microscopy. For VOCs, we applied headspace, GC-FID, and GC/MS analyses. (3) The obtained results indicate that there is a difference between the analyzed traits among studied species.
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had high disc diameter values, a high cross-section area and disc floret corolla length, as well as the largest cross-section area and thickness of the disc florets nectary. In the analyzed VOCs, 30 different compounds were detected. The highest yield and quantity of α-Pinene was observed in
. (4) Inflorescence features, such as receptacle diameter, corolla and secretory tissue properties, and floret VOCs production and characterization, provided valuable information that can be used as guidelines in sunflower breeding programs to maximize pollinator attractiveness and increase seed yield.
Broomrape is a root parasitic plant causing yield losses in sunflower production. Since sunflower is an important oil crop, the development of broomrape-resistant hybrids is the prime breeding ...objective. Using conventional plant breeding methods, breeders have identified resistant genes and developed a number of hybrids resistant to broomrape, adapted to different growing regions worldwide. However, the spread of broomrape into new countries and the development of new and more virulent races have been noted intensively. Recent advances in sunflower genomics provide additional tools for plant breeders to improve resistance and find durable solutions for broomrape spread and virulence. This review describes the structure and distribution of new, virulent physiological broomrape races, sources of resistance for introduction into susceptible cultivated sunflower, qualitative and quantitative resistance genes along with gene pyramiding and marker assisted selection (MAS) strategies applied in the process of increasing sunflower resistance. In addition, it presents an overview of underutilized biotechnological tools, such as phenotyping, -omics, and genome editing techniques, which need to be introduced in the study of sunflower resistance to broomrape in order to achieve durable resistance.
Domestication and the first steps of sunflower breeding date back more than 4000 years. As an interesting crop to humans, sunflower underwent significant changes in the past to finally find its place ...as one of the most significant oil crops today. Substantial progress has already been made in understanding how sunflower was domesticated. Recent advances in molecular techniques with improved experimental designs contributed to further understanding of the genetic and molecular basis underlying the architectural and phenotypic changes that occurred during domestication and improvements in sunflower breeding. Understanding the domestication process and assessing the current situation concerning available genotypic variations are essential in order for breeders to face future challenges. A review of the tools that are used for exploring the genetic and genome changes associated with sunflower domestication is given in the paper, along with a discussion of their possible implications on classical sunflower breeding techniques and goals.
Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were significantly associated with fertility restoration of cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) PET1 by the restorer gene
. For these SNPs, four Kompetitive ...allele-specific PCR (KASP) markers were successfully designed. The KASP markers cover the fertility restorer locus
, spanning about 3 Mb, and clearly differentiate restorer and maintainer lines. For genetic purity testing in sunflower hybrid production, the efficiency for detecting contaminations in samples was simulated using mixtures of hypocotyls or leaves. Contaminations of restorer lines with 1%, 3%, 5%, 10%, and 50% of maintainer lines were screened with all four KASP markers. Contaminations of 10% could be clearly detected in pools of 100 plants. Contaminations below this level require detection on a single plant level. For single plant detections, ethyl methanesulfonate-treated sunflower F1 hybrids, which had been phenotypically evaluated for male sterility (potential mutation in the
gene) were screened. Nine identified either partially male-sterile or male-sterile plants were analyzed with all four KASP markers and only one proved to be a hybrid with a mutation, seven were male-sterile contaminants in the F1 seeds used (1.6%) and one a recombinant plant. The four KASP markers should be valuable tools for marker-assisted selection (MAS) in sunflower breeding regarding the restorer locus
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Foresight in climate change and the challenges ahead requires a systematic approach to sunflower breeding that will encompass all available technologies. There is a great scarcity of desirable ...genetic variation, which is in fact undiscovered because it has not been sufficiently researched as detection and designing favorable genetic variation largely depends on thorough genome sequencing through broad and deep resequencing. Basic exploration of genomes is insufficient to find insight about important physiological and molecular mechanisms unique to crops. That is why integrating information from genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics and phenomics enables a comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms in the background of architecture of many important quantitative traits. Omics technologies offer novel possibilities for deciphering the complex pathways and molecular profiling through the level of systems biology and can provide important answers that can be utilized for more efficient breeding of sunflower. In this review, we present omics profiling approaches in order to address their possibilities and usefulness as a potential breeding tools in sunflower genetic improvement.
Winter oilseed rape (WOSR) production is dependent on weather conditions, but is also characterized by low nitrogen (N) use efficiency. The objectives of this study were to: (i) evaluate sources of ...variability for the seed yield and oil content of four rapeseed cultivars under the influence of three sowing dates (SD trial) and five nitrogen dosages (N trial) during four growing seasons; (ii) understand year-related interactions and the effect of climatic variables in different growth stages; and (iii) assess the presence of interactions cultivar by year (C × Y) and treatment by year (T × Y). Six climatic factors were observed, during germination, overwintering, budding, flowering and ripening. The mixed effect split-plot analysis of variance was used, as well as factorial regression models. The C × Y interaction was the most important for the oil content in both trials. The precipitation at budding stage (75.8%), relative air humidity at overwintering (63.3%) and flowering stage (53.0%) accounted for the highest proportion of T × Y interaction for the seed yield, as well as precipitation at flowering (92.0%) and ripening (85.0%) for the oil content. Water availability was the main determinant of the seed yield and/or oil content accompanied with cooler temperatures during the seed development. The study successfully dissected the effect of year-related climatic variables on the agronomical traits in winter rapeseed. Based on this, appropriate agronomic practices can be applied at specific growing stages to ensure a high seed and oil yield.
The trial in this study was carried out in field conditions throughout three years from plots where seed production of sunflower parental lines was established. Eight genotypes were examined; namely ...RHA-UK, RHA-ST-59, RHA-SES-IMI, RHA-SNRF, RHA-E-ANN-65, RHA-RU-3, RHA-CDN, and RHA-N-M-1. All the examined genotypes are parental components of the best sunflower hybrids developed by the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, Novi Sad, Serbia. Relationships between seed yield and eight different traits in sunflower were studied - oil and protein content, seed germination, 1000-seed weight, head diameter, number of branches and leaves and plant height. The same analyses were carried out for comparison of oil content. A highly significant positive correlation was determined between plant height and number of branches; plant height and the number of leaves; plant height and head diameter; plant height and seed yield; number of branches and yield; the number of leaves and yield; head diameter and seed yield; number of leaves and number of branches; number of leaves and head diameter and between seed germination and oil content. Path analysis indicated highest significant direct effect of plant height on yield (0.439**). The number of branches had a significant positive direct effect on yield (0.260*). In the study of indirect effects on yield, thirteen significant effects were determined. The study of direct effects on oil content showed that the plant height and number of leaves diameter had high significant effects (0.800** and -0.847**). The existence of indirect significant effects on oil content was determined in nine cases.
The aim of this research was to determine the optimum planting density for the production of high-quality cut flowers with desirable characteristics. 25 single-stem ornamental sunflower genotypes ...were planted at different densities and evaluated for flowering time, flower diameter, and stem circumference and length over a two-year production cycle. Three spacing patterns were used: 25 × 25 cm, 30 × 30 cm, and 70 × 30 cm, which led to the planting densities of 160 000, 90 000, and 60 000 plants/ha, respectively. The plant density had the most important effect on the stem circumference, flower diameter, and stem length (total variation 52, 60, and 58%, AMMI analysis) and a small effect on the flowering time (total variation 1%, AMMI analysis). Based on environment-focused scaling, all high-density environments could be suitable for the production of single-stem sunflower genotypes. The results demonstrated the adaptation of several sunflower genotypes G9, G11, G12, G21, and G22 as the most suitable based on the optimum flower diameter, stem circumference, and stem length. These results may lead to progress in growing ornamental sunflowers as a cut flower.
The objective was to assess the effect of chemical desiccation on seed germination and storability in three sunflower female inbred lines and to point at possible indicators for optimal performance ...time. Desiccation was performed with Diquat (2 l ha-1) applied at 7-day intervals from the end of flowering to harvest maturity. There were 6 treatments and control (untreated). Germination was tested 2 and 21 months after harvest. The highest germination was recorded when the desiccation was performed 35 days after flowering. Results showed that optimal moment for applying chemical desiccation when there is no negative effect on the seed germination is specific for each sunflower genotype. Seeds with a high level of germination (>90%) can be stored for 19 months without significant loss in germination, namely, it was not negatively affected by chemical desiccation. Seed moisture and growing degree-days can be used as reliable indicators for optimal desiccation time.
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