Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) genetic resources, production and researches in Turkey

Abstract

Sunflower is one of the leading oilseed crops and it is widely grown in the Thrace region of Turkey. In 2017, in Turkey as a whole, oilseed and confectionary sunflowers were grown on 779.622 ha with a total production of 1 964 385 t of seed, and average yields of 2.64 t ha -1 for oilseed and 1.67 t ha -1 for confectionary types. Turkey is one of the important countries for crop diversity and has been described as a microcenter for some crops, which originated in different parts of the world. Landraces of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) show significant diversity in Turkey and have been collected in the framework of the "National Industrial Plant Genetic Resources Project" (NPGRP). Nine hundred and thirty two oilseed and confectionary sunflower accessions are in longterm conservation in the National Seed Gene Bank of Turkey. The mission of the National Sunflower Research Project is to develop improved germplasm and hybrid varieties by conventional and biotechnical breeding techniques in Turkey. New germplasm and breeding lines have been developed to improve oilseed and confectionary sunflower hybrids with desired characters including high yield and oil quality, resistance to diseases such as: Plasmopara halstedii (Farl.) Berl de Toni., Puccinia helianthi Schw., and Orobanche cumana Walr. Adverse conditions are also taken under consideration. These studies are integrated with agronomic and other related research.