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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fargo, North Dakota » Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center » Sunflower and Plant Biology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #111466
Title: DEVELOPMENT OF HERBICIDE RESISTANT GERMPLASM IN SUNFLOWER

Author
item MILLER, JERRY
item AL-KHATIB, K. - KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Sunflower International Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/12/2000
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Producers of hybrid sunflower have very few herbicides available to utilize in controlling broadleaf weeds. The lack of herbicides is especially critical as producers in several countries convert more sunflower production to solid-seeding where conventional cultivation is not an option. Therefore, the discovery of a wild sunflower population (wild Helianthus annuus) resistant to the imidazolinone class of herbicides has caused excitement among the sunflower industry. The objective of this investigation was to initiate transfer of the herbicide resistant factors from the wild population to USDA cultivated sunflower inbred lines. Techniques such as embryo culture were utilized to advance plants to the BC2F6 generation. Plants were treated with imazethapyr (Pursuit) and imazamox (Raptor) to identify resistant plants. Hybrids were produced by crossing resistant female and male lines, as well as resistant female by susceptible male lines, and susceptible female by resistant male lines, to study the dominance of the herbicide resistant characteristic. Hybrids produced by crossing a resistant parent with a susceptible parent were intermediate in resistance compared to hybrids produced by crossing two resistant parents. The herbicide resistance appears to be controlled by partial dominance or controlled additively. Several germplasm populations and lines have been released by USDA-ARS to industry and public researchers.

Technical Abstract: Producers of hybrid sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) have very few herbicides available to utilize in controlling broadleaf weeds. The lack of herbicides is especially critical as producers in several countries convert more sunflower production to solid-seeding where conventional cultivation is not an option. Therefore, the discovery of a wild sunflower population (wild Helianthus annuus) resistant to the imidazolinone class of herbicides has caused excitement among the sunflower industry. The objective of this investigation was to initiate transfer of the herbicide resistant factors from the wild population to USDA cultivated sunflower inbred lines. Techniques such as embryo culture were utilized to advance plants to the BC2F6 generation. Plants were treated with imazethapyr (Pursuit) and imazamox (Raptor) to identify resistant plants. Hybrids were produced by crossing resistant female and male lines, as well as resistant female by susceptible male lines, and susceptible female by resistant male lines, to study the dominance of the herbicide resistant characteristic. Hybrids produced by crossing a resistant parent with a susceptible parent were intermediate in resistance compared to hybrids produced by crossing two resistant parents. The herbicide resistance appears to be controlled by partial dominance or controlled additively. Several germplasm populations and lines have been released by USDA-ARS to industry and public researchers.