|
Other Perennials
Perennial sunflower is a new crop being developed by crossing wild perennial and domestic annual sunflower species. more...
Home
Bath
Bedding
Furniture
Gardening & Plants
Bird & Wildlife Accessories
Fertilizer, Soil Amendments
Garden Décor
Garden Structures & Fencing
Hand Tools, Gear & Equipment
Other Gardening & Plants
Outdoor Lighting
Pest & Weed Control
Planters, Pots, Window Boxes
Plants, Seeds, Bulbs
Aquatic Plants
Other Plants, Seedlings
Plants Bog
Plants Lotus
Plants Marginal, Shallow
Plants Oxygenating
Plants Water Hyacinth
Plants Water Lilies
Plants, Seedlings
Seeds
Bonsai
Plants, Seedlings
Seeds
Cactus & Succulents
Ferns
Flower Bulbs, Roots, Corms
Amaryllis
Caladium
Crocus
Daffodil
Dahlia
Gladiolus
Hyacinth
Iris
Lily
Mixed Lots
Other Bulbs, Roots, Corms
Peony
Tulip
Flower Plants, Seedlings
Annuals
Biennials
Mixed Perennials
Other Perennials
Perennials
Perennials Brugmansia
Perennials Butterfly...
Perennials Clematis
Perennials Columbine
Perennials Daisy
Perennials Daylily
Perennials Hosta
Perennials Iris
Perennials Lavender
Perennials Phlox
Perennials Sedum
Perennials Violet
Flower Seeds
Annuals
Annuals Alyssum
Annuals Bachelor's Button
Annuals Cosmos
Annuals Marigold
Annuals Mixed Annual Seeds
Annuals Morning Glory
Annuals Petunia
Annuals Poppy
Annuals Sunflower
Annuals Zinnia
Biennials
Mixed Perennials
Other Annual Seeds
Other Perennials
Perennials
Perennials Columbine
Perennials Daisy
Perennials Hibiscus
Perennials Hollyhock
Perennials Hosta
Perennials Lavender
Perennials Lily
Perennials Penstemon
Perennials Poppy
Perennials Primrose
Perennials Purple Coneflower
Groundcovers, Vines
Other
Plants, Seedlings
Seeds
Herbs
Plants, Seedlings
Seeds
Houseplants
African Violets
Bamboo
Begonia
Carnivorous
Other Houseplants
Streptocarpus
Orchids, Tropicals
Plants Banana
Plants Ginger
Plants Orchids
Plants Other
Plants Palms
Plants Plumeria
Plants, Seedlings
Seeds
Seeds Banana
Seeds Othe
Seeds Palm
Seeds Plumeria
Ornamental Grasses
Other
Roses
Shrubs
Plants Azalea
Plants Dogwood
Plants Forsythia
Plants Gardenia
Plants Hydrangea
Plants Lilac
Plants Other
Plants, Seedlings
Seeds
Trees
Evergreen
Fruit, Flowering
Nut
Other Trees
Shade
Vegetables & Fruits
Plants Berries
Plants Other
Plants Peppers
Plants Tomatoes
Plants, Seedlings
Seeds Beans
Seeds Cabbage
Seeds Carrot
Seeds Cucumbers & Squash
Seeds Gourd
Seeds Lettuce
Seeds Melons
Seeds Onion
Seeds Other
Seeds Peas
Seeds Peppers
Seeds Pumpkin
Seeds Tomatoes
Seeds, Bulbs
Publications
Seed Starting, Grow Lights
Home Decor
Lamps, Lighting, Ceiling...
Patio & Grilling
Pools & Spas
Rugs & Carpets
Annual sunflower is a major oilseed crop. Genes from wild perennial relatives may increase root depth and mass and extend the growing season. These upgrades means future varieties with higher yields and better soil conservation.
Background
Sunflower seed: current production and uses
Globally, sunflowers are the fourth most important oil crop.Most of the sunflower seed crop is crushed for oil, and most of the oil is consumed by humans. A major byproduct of crushing is protein-rich cake, an excellent feed for livestock.
A tiny proportion of the global sunflower crop is directly eaten as “nuts” or kernels.
Wild perennial relatives of sunflower
There are 50 species of sunflowers (genus Helianthus), all native to North America. Of these, 38 are perennials. Sunflower breeders have crossed many of these species with the crop sunflower because they are a source of useful genes.
Perennial sunflowers survive the winter by storing food in underground freezing-tolerant stems called rhizomes. Rhizomes enable a plant to spread into new territory. Tubers are storage organs and are modified rhizomes.
Jerusalem Artichoke: the other perennial sunflower
Native Americans domesticated the wild perennial sunflower Helianthus tuberosus by selecting individuals with larger tubers. This crop plant (now called by the misleading name Jerusalem artichoke) was grown for its tubers and not for its seed. The perennial sunflowers being developed as an oilseed crop by modern plant breeders may have tubers, but they will probably not be harvested. Digging tubers is probably ecologically sustainable on a small scale. On a large scale, annually disturbing the soil makes it vulnerable to soil erosion. Avoiding annual tillage is one of the main motivations for developing perennial grain crops.
Breeding perennial sunflower
Combining genes from wild and crop species
Many sunflower species can be artificially hybridized but one group of wild perennial species cross, the hexaploids (six copies of all chromosomes instead of the usual two copies) are especially easy to cross. Scientists are using this group to make “bridging crosses” that will bring together the genes from the crop sunflower and several other perennial species.
Read more at Wikipedia.org
|
|