Sunflower Breeding Methods

Pedigree Selection

• Pedigree selection refers to the process of taking a successful line of sunflower seed ancestors and mixing the best genetic traits of the family to form a stronger family of seeds. This method of breeding is one of the oldest and most cost effective. A breeder can continue this method for as many generations as needed.

Backcross Selection

• Backcross selection refers to a form of breeding that uses a superior inbred pedigree selection created sunflower that may nevertheless lack a particular trait such as being disease resistant. To get this disease resistant trait injected into this sunflower, a breeder takes the superior plant (a) and breeds it with disease resistant plant (b) to produce offspring (F1) that will possess an equal mix of genetic traits. This F1 then "backcrosses" with parent A. This improves the parent by retaining most of its qualities, while adding a new one of disease resistance. After a series of backcrosses, some uniformity is realized as a result of increased gene frequencies.

Recurrent Selection

• Recurrent selection refers to the method of selecting special gene traits from the best sunflower family. Once selection is made, interbreeding continues for four or five generations. Only the best female sunflowers are used for pollination by the male because they better retain key genetic materials to strengthen the family line. This allows the breeder to access favorable recombinations and stabilize traits within the sunflower's gene pool.

Genomic Selection

• Genomic selection or "plant cloning," refers to genetic engineering of a sunflower's genetic material contained within the seed. This method of finding DNA markers and sequences through genomic selection allows for alternative sunflower breeding, which can double, triple and maybe quadruple the size and yield of sunflowers. Dr. Loren Riesburg of the University of British Columbia observes that seeds could subsequently be harvested for food and oil, and the stalks of the sunflower used for wood or converted to ethanol.

Implications

• Plant genetic researcher, Brent Hulke, of the USDA-ARS, Northern Crop Science Laboratory observes that genetic markers and sequencing are vital methods to develop sustainable hybrids of sunflowers.