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Marker-assisted breeding coming to sunflowers
Jul. 31, 2014
Watch for big improvements in sunflower hybrids in coming years as plant breeders use marker-assisted breeding to make it easier to include traits associated with certain DNA combinations in their varieties.
John Sandbakken, executive director of the North Dakota-based National Sunflower Association, said studying the whole genome of the plant to figure out what DNA sequences are associated with specific traits will allow breeders to determine whether new varieties have the traits growers want. Marker-assisted breeding can be used to confer better disease resistance, for example, or to develop lines that are higher in monounsaturated fats and lower in saturated fats.
"It’s gaining momentum now," Sandbakken said. "You’ll see more of it down the road." Sandbakken said breeders at USDA labs in Fargo, at North Dakota State University, and at South Dakota State University are working with marker-assisted breeding in sunflowers.
Source: Capital journal
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