Registration of oilseed sunflower germplasms HA 482, RHA 483, and RHA 484, selected for resistance to Sclerotinia and Phomopsis diseases

Authors: SMART, BRIAN - North Dakota State University; Koehler, Brady; Misar, Christopher; GULYA, THOMAS - Retired ARS Employee; Hulke, Brent

Submitted to: Journal of Plant Registrations
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/19/2019
Publication Date: 9/26/2019
Citation: Smart, B.C., Koehler, B.D., Misar, C.G., Gulya, T.G., Hulke, B.S. 2019. Registration of oilseed sunflower germplasms HA 482, RHA 483, and RHA 484, selected for resistance to Sclerotinia and Phomopsis diseases. Journal of Plant Registrations. 13(3):450-454. https://doi.org/10.3198/jpr2019.07.0030crg.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3198/jpr2019.07.0030crg

Interpretive Summary: The United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) announces the release of three oilseed sunflower germplasms in 2019. These germplasms have been developed to provide resistance for Sclerotinia and Phomopsis, two of the most serious diseases threatening the success of sunflower production in the United States. While breeding sunflower with resistance to these devastating diseases, it is essential that they also have high yield potential and desirable oil content when grown in a typical production field in the northern Great Plains. A female inbred sunflower line and two male inbred sunflower lines have been evaluated for both disease resistance and yield traits. All three lines have high oleic acid composition in the seed oil, which is a value-added product in the vegetable oil market, and two lines have herbicide tolerance traits, for producer ease. Hybrids made between the female and male lines are suitable for use on farms and will have elite genetics and highly desirable disease resistance.

Technical Abstract: Sclerotinia (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum [Lib.] DeBary) and Phomopsis (Diaporthe spp. Nitschke), two of the most serious diseases threatening the success of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) production across the world, are of increasing concern in recent history, and there is a need for additional inbred lines with resistance to these diseases. While breeding, testing, and identifying new lines capable of thriving in agricultural landscapes riddled with varying prevalences of these widespread diseases, it is essential that lines also exhibit other desirable traits such as high yield potential, satisfactory fatty acid composition (e.g. high oleic acid), and herbicide tolerance (e.g. to imidazolinones), along with overall agronomic performance suitable to the northern Great Plains climate in the United States, and other similar climates across other continents. A maintainer inbred germplasm line ‘HA 482’ (Reg. No. GP-364, PI 690015) and two restorer inbred germplasms ‘RHA 483’ (Reg. No. GP-365, PI 690016) and ‘RHA 484’ (Reg. No.GP-366, PI 690017) have been developed with the pedigree breeding method and evaluated through the use of testcross hybrid trials for both disease resistance and agronomic traits. All three lines have high oleic acid composition in the seed oil and exhibit resistance to Sclerotinia head rot and Phomopsis stem canker. Both RHA 483 and RHA 484 are imidazolinone tolerant, and RHA 483 is resistant additionally to Sclerotinia basal stalk rot. These lines were released by the USDA–ARS, Fargo, ND, to provide the sunflower community with inbred lines that contain elite genetics and highly desirable disease resistance.