This investigation was directed to sunflower improvement using hybrid forms resulted from wide hybridization. The aim was to create new B/A and R lines from interspecific and intergeneric hybrids resistant to diseases parasite broomrape herbicides other stress factors and with high combining ability in highly productive oil-type sunflower hybrids with varied fatty acid contents. The confectionary hybrids should have a high kernel protein content and amino acid content. The investigation was carried out during the period 1983-2010. The programme included 16 cultivars and 18 B lines with their analogues. Interspecific intraspecific and intergeneric hybridization produced hybrid materials originating from 38 Helianthus species with different ploidy levels 9 annuals and 29 perennials and 28 species from other genera of family Compositae . New sunflower forms and lines created possessed resistance to downy mildew Phomopsis Phoma and Alternaria tolerance to Sclerotinia and total resistance to the different races of parasitic broomrape. The new forms had distinctive plant architecture different vegetation periods and seeds of different sizes and coloration. New B/A and R lines characterized with high combining ability seed oil and fatty acid content and varying protein amino acid contents were obtained. Fifteen sources of cytoplasmic male sterility ( cms ) were obtained from interspecific hybrids and 271 sources of fertility restoration ( Rf ) genes from interspecific and intergeneric hybrids. Five new oil type hybrids and one confectionery type were developed and registered. The results from this investigations showed that by wide hybridization new genetic material can be transferred to the cultivated sunflower. These results supplemented the contribution of interspecific and intergeneric hybridization for sunflower breeding.

The evaluation of GE interaction is an important component of the cultivar selection process in multi-environment trials (METs). GGE biplot analysis is an effective method which is based on the principal component analysis (PCA) in order to fully explore METs. The objectives of the present study were first to analyze the GE interaction in the seed yield of 15 sunflower inbred lines through the application of GGE biplot technique as well as to identify suitable sunflower inbred lines with both mean performance and high stability. Seed yield of 15 sunflower inbred lines which were derived from 5 basic populations was tested in a randomized complete block design with three replications. These inbred lines were tested from 2008 to 2011 at the Sararood agricultural research station in western Iran which created 6 environments in total. The results of variance analysis showed the significance of environmental variance compared to the genotype and GE interaction variances. The first two principle components (PC1 and PC2) together explained 68.2% of the total variability so most of the information could be graphically displayed in the PC1 vs PC2 biplot. Polygon view of GGE biplot revealed that G3 was the inbred line with the highest seed yield in four out of six environments. The average environment coordinate (AEC) biplot showed that G3 with the highest mean yield was a highly stable inbred line as it was positioned close to the AEC abscissa. The second highest yielding and most stable inbred line was G10. The biplot of comparison of the sunflower inbred lines with the ideal genotype revealed that G3 was the closest inbred line to the ideal cultivar. Therefore this inbred line seems to be widely adapted across several environments. According to the biplot of the ideal environment it was concluded that E1 was the closest to ideal environment and therefore the most desirable of all six environments. So E1 is the most effective for the selection of superior inbred lines.

Drought and heat stress that prevail during critical growth stages are amongst the most important constraints controlling yield ability of a sunflower crop. In this investigation 73 adapted lines were evaluated under irrigated and rainy conditions using 7 checks for 100-seed weight (HSW) seed crude protein (SCP) kernel-grain ratio (KGR) hull-kernel ratio (HKR) leaf area (LA) total leaf area (TLA) stem height (SH) leaf number (LN) stem diameter (SD) seed width (SW) seed length (SL) head diameter (HD) leaf length (LL) leaf width (LW) leaf length-leaf width ratio (LLW) number of days of the cycle (NDC) and GDD (growing degree day) GDD (Emergence - Flowering) (GDD E-F) GDD (Flowering - Maturity) (GDD F-M) and GDD (Emergence - Maturity) GDD (EM). There were significant differences ( P <0.001) between genotypes for all traits while a positive correlation between them ranged from 0.40 to 0.95. Principal component analysis indicated that two principal components accounted for 51.26% of total variability. The two axes were defined primarily by HSW LL LA SW SL LN SD and GDD. Three groups were identified. The first group characterized by the highest HSW SL SW SD and the second group characterized by the least LA. Sunflowers with low GDD constituted the third group. To determine a similarity index between different lines we constructed a dendrogram generated by hierarchical UPGMA. Cluster analysis of the similarity coefficient matrices revealed five major clusters having 90% similarity. The selection of a genotype from this sunflower diversity would be an alternative to generate genetic material for breeding programs and yield improvement in semi-arid conditions.

Downy mildew Plasmopara halstedii (Ferl.) Berl. & de Toni of sunflower ( Helianthus annuus L.) is a destructive disease occurring in almost all sunflower growing countries in the world except Australia. During 1988 this disease was noticed in Marathwada region of Maharashtra State India for the first time and its spread is now being reported from major sunflower growing states of India like Andhra Pradesh Karanataka Maharashtra Tamilnadu and Punjab. The disease is seed and soil borne and use of chemical method can solve the problem of downy mildew but the best way is to use resistant hybrids to combat the disease. At Oilseeds Research Station Latur (M.S.) India a new sunflower downy mildew resistant hybrid coined as LSFH-171 was developed and now it has been released for commercial cultivation for the benefit of the farmers in major sunflower growing states of India.

Under natural conditions only cross-pollination is typical for sunflower. The apomixis phenomenon was hardly observed in genre Helianthus L. Development of embryo sac at sunflower goes according to Polygonum -type embryo formation goes according to Asterad -type ( Senecio -variation). On plants of cms -lines a series of experiments on interspecific hybridization was carried out. As a result a number of anomalies in development of female reproductive system were investigated including such apomixis phenomena as an apospory and integumentary embryony. In some ovule was noted total absence of embryo sac. All ovule structures were normally formed but on the place of embryo sac some small and 1-3 large cells were found. Lack of the main embryo sac and formation of additional aposporous embryo sacs could be observed at the same time in the same ovule.

Study was focused on effect of silicon (Si) on growth and nutritional status of sunflower ( Helianthus annuus L.) under low boron (B) external supply. Plants were grown under controlled environmental conditions in nutrient solutions with two low B treatments (0.2 μM B and 0.5 μM B) with or without addition of Si and control treatment containing sufficient B supply. Shoots growth was only slightly affected by Si supply while accumulation of B in fully developed leaves was significantly higher only at 0.5 μM B. In roots nutrients contents were relatively constant while accumulation of all nutrients in leaves was affected by addition of Si. Differences were significant only in K Fe and Mo between treatments 0.5 μM B and 0.5 μM B with Si added and in Zn between both treatments. In comparison with other studies results confirmed that plant species show different response to Si application. Interaction of B and Si should be involved in further research in B deficiency in sunflower.

A group of hybrids with higher oil yield was selected from the comparative yield trials carried out in the EEA Pergamino during seasons 2004-2005 2005-2006 and 2006-07. The objective was to study the associations between seed yield oil content oil yield and climatic variables obtained from two methods: stepwise and principal component analysis. Both methods arrived at similar results confirming the associations between yield and climatic variables. Positive correlation between seed yield and thermal amplitude was obtained in sowing- flowering as well as between oil yield and thermal amplitude in flowering- maturity. The seed yield was negatively correlated with the hours of sunlight (heliophany) and rainfall in sowing-flowering. The oil content was positively correlated with the hours of sunlight (heliophany) in flowering- maturity and with thermal amplitude in flowering maturity. As the variations of climatic variables have a substantial importance in determining yield the selection of stable genotypes would be an important contribution to sunflower breeding.

In the present study we report the genetic diversity among 18 sunflower inberd lines involving alloplasmic cms lines conventional cms and restorer lines ( petiolaris source) using twenty traits. Efforts were also made to correlate various morphological and physiological traits with seed yield and oil content. The study was performed at Oil Seed Section Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) Ludhiana India. The analysis of variance recorded persence of significant variability among the garmplasm lines. Mahalanobis D 2 statistic indicated presence of substantial genetic diversity and genotypes were grouped into five clusters. ARG-3A and cms -XA were designated as the most diverse cms sources. Grain yield an important character showed highly significant positive correlation with days to 50% flowering days to maturity plant height chlorophyll content oil content and biological yield at both genotypic and phenotypic levels. Path coefficient analysis revealed direct positive effect of no. of leaves per plant 100 seed weight chlorophyll content leaf area leaf area index oil content biological yield and harvest index on grain yield. Plant height seed size number of leaves per plant chlorophyll content leaf traits and oil content were identified as important traits for selection criteria to improve seed yield in sunflower. It was also observed that different cytoplasmic sources used in the present study did not show any deviations from the previously established correlations between important morphophysiological and seed yield traits and can be exploited in heterosis breeding programme.

A field experiment was conducted to standardize the best management practices for higher yields in sunflower at ZARS UAS GKVK Bengaluru during kharif 2011. The results revealed that application of FYM @ 5 t/ha along with 133 percent RDF (120: 120: 80 kg N: P 2 O 5 : K 2 O/ha) at higher plant population level (P3-74074 plants/ha) recorded higher seed yield (2478 kg/ha) which was statistically at par with 100% RDF with same level of FYM and plant population (2464 kg/ha). Higher oil yield was observed with 100% RDF with FYM @ 5 t/ha & higher plant population (1014 kg/ha) followed by 133% RDF (1011 kg/ ha). Hence adoption of higher plant population level of 74074 plants/ha along with 100 percent RDF and FYM (5 t/ha) is sufficient to generate remunerative income (Rs. 51450/ha) and higher B:C ratio (3.29).

Two field experiments were conducted on a typic chromusterts fine smectitic isohyperthermic soil series in the Damazin Research Station Farm during two seasons (2005/06 and 2006/07). The objective was to investigate the effect of phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) and their interactions on sunflower ( Helianthus annuus L.) growth seed and oil yield. A randomized complete block design with four replicates was used to execute the experiments. Plant height dry matter and seed yield were significantly increased by N and P applications in both seasons. The average yield of sunflower seed in the two seasons was 0.486 tons·ha -1 for the control and 4.893 tons·ha -1 for the highest fertilizer treatment (N 80 P 80 ). Oil seed % gave significant increases in the two seasons due to P N treatments and their interaction and the average oil seed was 31.3% for the control compared to 37.5% for the highest treatment (N 80 P 80 ). Phosphorus alone had pronounced effect on oil seed % in the two seasons. There were mutually synergistic effects between N and P which significantly (P<0.01) promoted growth and yield of sunflower. Phosphorus enhanced nitrogen uptake and nitrogen use efficiency and vice versa . At all N applications phosphorus use efficiency tended to decrease with increase in the rate of P application. The highly significant response of sunflower to P and N fertilizers warrant recommending their application under the rainfed conditions of Damazin Sudan.