The objective of this research was to carry out a comparative study of classical breeding methods and embryo-rescue technique for the production of interspecific F1 hybrids between wild perennial Helianthus mollis, accession GT М-020, and cultivated sunflower, as well as to analyze the contribution of applying embryo-rescue techniques for overcoming the environmental changes. Interspecific hybridization was done between the cultivated sunflower Helianthus annuus L. and the perennial species Helianthus mollis, accession GT М-020. The embryo cultivation method was used for the successful performance of the crosses. Crosses were realized between this species and the male sterile line HA 300. Morphological, phytopathological, and biochemical studies were carried out. As a result of self-pollination and selection, hybrid materials in both F1 and F2 were obtained, and in advanced generations as well. Some of the progenies possessed higher seed oil content. Their resistance to economically important diseases (downy mildew, phoma, and phomopsis) and parasite broomrape was presented. The conclusion of the research indicates that the selected hybrid materials differed significantly. Some of the hybrid progenies demonstrated resistance to downy mildew, phoma, and phomopsis. Applying this method leads to enrichment of the gene pool of cultivated sunflower with diverse and useful traits, originating from wild sunflower species.

Weed flora serves as a persistent reservoir for phytopathogenic fungi and parasitic plants, sustaining their survival and spread even without cultivated hosts. Pathogens like Diaporthe helianthi and Plasmopara halstedii can infect both sunflower (Helianthus annuus) and diverse weedy species, maintaining continuous inoculum sources. Studies have shown that Phomopsis spp. colonize various non-cultivated plants, where they form necrotic lesions and viable conidia. Experimental inoculations confirmed cross-infectivity between sunflower and several weeds, indicating epidemiological links.

Regarding the obligate root holoparasite Orobanche cumana, natural infections appear mostly confined to Asteraceae, especially Artemisia spp. However, in controlled conditions, O. cumana shows strict specificity to H. annuus, with no successful parasitism of non-Helianthus species. Given its impact on sunflower production, identifying potential alternative hosts is vital for early detection and management.

This study evaluated 23 accessions from 9 Asteraceae species for O. cumana susceptibility. Plants were grown in soil infested with quantified broomrape seed loads, and root systems were assessed 45 days after sowing. High susceptibility was recorded in all Arctium lappa accessions, confirming its role as a potential alternative host under favorable conditions.

These findings highlight the importance of integrated disease management, including resistant hybrids, targeted fungicide use, and weed host control, to limit inoculum pressure and reduce disease outbreaks in sunflower crops.

Interspecific hybridization was carried out between cultivated sunflower Helianthus annuus L. and accessions from perennial wild species of genus Helianthus with the aim to develop hybrid plants with enriched heritability and higher resistance to abiotic and biotic factors. In order to overcome the difficulties in the process of crossing, the embryo rescue method was applied. Two CMS lines developed at Dobrudzha Agricultural Institute – General Toshevo (DAI) were included as mother components in hybridization. Accessions from five perennial wild species of genus Helianthus with different ploidy levels were used as male components; these wild species are being maintained in the wild sunflower collection of DAI. Ten crosses were made. Thirty-eight embryos were obtained, which were cultivated on nutrition medium. Six F1 interspecific hybrids were produced, differing by their habit type. All obtained interspecific hybrids were sterile but were able to plant propagate vegetatively.

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is the third most widely grown oilseed worldwide, the production concentrated in Ukraine, Russia, Argentina, Turkiye, Romania, and USA. Due to global demand for sunflowers, there is an increase in cultivation of sunflowers. Nonetheless, sunflower production is affected by abiotic and biotic stress factors. Particularly, the parasite plant Orobanche and fungus downy mildew are the two major biotic stress factors that could cause serious losses in sunflower production. Various control methods such as chemical, mechanical, biological, cultural, etc. are used to cope with these two problems. Due to the speed proliferation of the two, the traditional methods are insufficient to provide sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions. Therefore, it is necessary to use combinations of classical breeding and genomic approaches to identify genetic bases of resistance and incorporate these into breeding programs to achieve long-term resistance to Orobanche and downy mildew. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are powerful methods to detect genomic regions controlling the traits of interest in crops and have not been used extensively for identification of genomic regions controlling Orobanche and downy mildew. In this article, the state of resistance to Orobanche and downy mildew as well as GWAS approach to identification of the genomic regions controlling resistance to both are summarized.

Sunflower, together with soybean and oilseed rape, amounts to 87% of the oil production worldwide. It is a main agricultural crop grown on 23 million ha. An important parameter in sunflower breeding is the head diameter.

It is less influenced by genetic factors, and more – by the environmental conditions and the duration of the growth season. The aim of this investigation was to study the variation of the parameter head diameter depending on the environmental changes, the type of inheritance and the heterosis effect in the hybrid combinations. Two-factor dispersion analysis was applied (ANOVA - Analysis of Variation); the inheritance d/a was calculated for F1 generation through the coefficient of Mather and Jinks (1982); the occurrence of heterosis was evaluated according to Omarov (1975). The head diameter parameter varied according to the genotype and the environment, remaining stable in the obtained hybrid combinations.

This allowed the conclusion, that hybrid combinations 2008A x 100R, 2008A x 85R and 2008A x 84R possessed good ecological stability to changeable environments according to this parameter. A significant correlation in the fertility restorer lines was obtained between head diameter and percent of protein and 1000 kernel weight. Similar direct effect was observed in the sterile lines as well according to number of leaves per plant. The inheritance of the parameter head diameter in the hybrid combinations varied from incomplete dominance to intermediary and over dominance and depended on the accumulation and recombination of genes inherited from the parental forms. Concerning heterosis, (best-parent and mid-parent), considerable dynamics was observed, which was conditioned by the high values of one or both parents involved in the hybrid combination.

The YABBY gene family, known for its plant-specific transcription factors, plays pivotal roles in regulating leaf polarity, floral organ development, and responses to environmental stimuli. Despite its functional importance in various plant species, a comprehensive understanding of this gene family in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) has remained elusive. In this study, we conducted a genome-wide in silico identification and characterization of YABBY genes in H. annuus, revealing 14 HaYABBY members distributed across 10 chromosomes. Phylogenetic analysis clustered these genes into five conserved subfamilies (FIL/YAB3, YAB2, YAB5, INO, and CRC), while gene structure and motif analyses highlighted both conserved domain architecture and subfamily-specific divergence. Promoter analysis revealed the presence of multiple stress- and hormone-responsive cis-elements, and miRNA target prediction identified HaYABBY05 and HaYABBY09 as potential post-transcriptional targets of four distinct miRNAs.

Synteny and duplication analyses suggested that segmental duplication events under purifying selection contributed to the expansion and conservation of HaYABBY genes. Tissue-specific expression profiling via RNA-seq demonstrated diverse expression patterns, with HaYABBY05 exhibiting broad expression and HaYABBY12 showing strong floral organ specificity. Under drought stress, RNA-seq and RT-qPCR analyses revealed significant cultivar- and tissue-specific expression differences between the drought-tolerant (SUN 2235) and drought-sensitive (Turay) sunflower cultivars. Notably, HaYABBY genes showed strong induction in the roots of SUN 2235 but were suppressed in Turay, implicating a potential role in drought adaptation.

Together, these findings provide the first comprehensive insight into the structure, evolution, and stress-responsive expression of YABBY genes in sunflower. This study offers valuable candidate genes and regulatory clues for improving drought resilience in sunflower breeding and sets a foundation for further functional exploration of YABBY transcription factors in crops.

This study provides an overall assessment of producer welfare in terms of price and agricultural support policies for sunflower production, which is important for the Turkish economy and agriculture. Oilseed crops are among the strategic products with a supply gap in Turkey's agricultural production. While the current sunflower price for 2001-2025 increased by 145% between 2022 and 2025 in particular, an increase of 450% was achieved in area-based support. When the product price is adjusted according to the Producer Price Index (PPI) based on 2003, the unit price fell from 0.88 TL/da in 2020 to 0.52 TL/da in 2024. In terms of subsidies, it has been calculated that a sunflower producer receiving 696.50 TL in subsidies at current prices in 2024 will receive 20.03 TL in real terms and 20.40 USD in dollar terms. This figure is expected to be 732 TL/da at current prices, 17.11 TL/da in real terms, and 18.79 USD/da in dollar terms under the new support model to be implemented as of 2025. In Turkey, a sunflower producer received total support amounting to 41% of their total income per decare in 2006, whereas this figure has declined to 12% in 2025. It is crucial to develop pricing and support policies that will reduce Turkey's dependence on imports in sunflower agriculture.

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), a critical oilseed crop, which plays a pivotal role in addressing global food security and climate resilience challenges. The study conducted a bibliometric review of global studies on technical improvements in sunflower from 2000 to 2024. The inquiry, which used data from the Dimensions database and was displayed, using VOSviewer, contained 287 scholarly publications, indicating a significant increase in research production, with a peak of 20 articles in 2021. A positive correlation (r = 0.68, p < 0.05) was found between time and publication production, especially after 2010, indicating increased intellectual involvement in sunflower development in response to growing concerns about food security and climate resilience. Keyword co-occurrence analysis identified important themes such as yield enhancement, drought resistance, oil quality, and genetic traits; nevertheless, socio-economic and sustainability concerns were not adequately addressed. The journal Helia was identified as the primary publication source, although co-authorship networks revealed fragmented institutional cooperation and limited regional integration. More than 95% of publications were primarily about agricultural and biological sciences, with little input from environmental or social sciences. These findings highlight the need for more interdisciplinary and inclusive research methodologies to fully explore sunflower technology developments for sustainable and equitable agro-food systems, identifying considerable gaps in socio-economic research and sustainability of sunflower production.

The efficiency of sunflower hybrid breeding is determined by the genetic purity of the parent lines. Traditionally, plant selection in the process of seed production of the obtained lines is performed by morphological traits. This does not always ensure high typicality of the lines. Evaluation of plants of sunflower lines only by morphological traits is not always effective, and in some cases leads to a decrease in the typicality level of both lines and hybrid combinations. The studies have established and identified allelic variants of electrophoretic spectra of seed storage proteins. Simultaneous evaluation and selection of plants by electrophoretic spectra of storage proteins and by morphological traits of plants ensured an increase and preservation of the genetic homogeneity of the maternal line GE106. The using of allelic variants of electrophoretic spectra of proteins in plant selection ensured the genetic purity of the sterile analog CYTSrfrf (genotype has sterile cytoplasm, genes for restoration of polly fertility in homozygous recessive state) of the line at the level of 98.7%, the fertile analog CYTNrfrf of the line at the level of 98.6% (method of soil control). With this selection method, the analysis of plants by allelic variants of protein spectra increased the indicators of genetic purity of the maternal line components. The level of genetic purity of the sterile and fertile analogue, determined by allelic variants of the protein spectra of seeds, in the sterile analog CYTSrfrf and the fixer of sterility CYTNrfrf of the line was 99.6% and 99.8%. Establishing typicality by protein spectra in some cases helps to increase the indicators of genetic purity of lines, since it does not allow identifying atypical plants by height.

Sustainable resource efficiency is crucial for enhanced productivity of any cropping system. Two field trials were carried out during the late cropping season (July – Nov.) of 2018 and 2019 to determine the grain yield and productivity of sunflower (var. Favorit) introduced into a sesame-based cropping system. Agronomic Efficiency (AE), Partial Factor Productivity (PFP), Production Efficiency (PE), Actual Yield Loss (AYLsun), System Productivity Index (SPI), and Land Use Efficiency (LUE) were used for the cropping systems productivity evaluation. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design using a split-split plot arrangement with sesame varieties (E8 and Cameroun White), organic fertilizer (No fertilizer and organic fertilizer) and sowing dates (C1- sown simultaneously with sesame, C2 - 10 days after sowing, DAS, and C3 - 20 DAS) as the main, sub and sub-sub plots, respectively, and replicated three times. Cropping systems significantly (P < 0.05) affected sunflower grain yield and all the productivity indices evaluated in both years. The maximum grain yield of sunflower was recorded when sown simultaneously with sesame variety E8 (1,054.00 and 720.70 kg/ha) and Cameroun White (503.53 and 675.23 kg/ha) in 2018 and 2019, respectively. The productivity of sunflower declined when introduced beyond C2. Based on comparatively high grain yield (702.17 – 1,054.00 kg/ha), PE (7.31 – 10.98 kg.ha-1 day-1), positive AYLsun (0.54 – 0.73), and LUE (51.4 – 58.32%) recorded when sunflower was introduced at C1 and C2 into E8, it is concluded that intercropping sunflower with E8 variety is a better option than with Cameroun White.