English: Sunflowers in Fargo, North Dakota. Español: Girasoles amarillos Français : Un champ de tournesols à Fargo, dans le Dakota du Nord (USA). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Scientists have developed techniques for the genetic improvement of sunflowers using a non-GMO based approach.
The new technology platform can harness the plant’s own genes to improve characteristics of sunflower, develop genetic traits, which will improve its role as an important oilseed crop. The work was led by Dr Manash Chatterjee, an Adjunct Faculty member of Botany and Plant Science at NUI Galway, and has been published in the journal BMC Plant Biology.
Among oilseed crops, sunflowers are one of the most important sources of edible vegetable oil for human consumption worldwide. Sunflower and other oilseed crops are the source of the vast majority of vegetable oil used for cooking and food processing. The oils are also for industrial processes such as making soaps, cosmetics, perfumes, paints and biofuels.
Dr Chatterjee is currently a Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) ETS Walton Fellow at NUI Galway, collaborating with the SFI Genetics and Biotechnology Lab of Professor Charles Spillane. Dr Chatterjee’s research uses an approach called TILLING (Targeting Induced Lesions In The Genome), an established non-GM method for creating and discovering new traits in plants.
According to Dr Chatterjee: “Over the centuries, the sunflower has been cultivated for traits such as yield. However, along the way many useful genetic variations have been lost. This new technology allows us to pinpoint key genetic information relating to various useful traits in the sunflower, including wild sunflower species. It gives us a method to quickly create variability for further breeding to enhance the quantity, quality and natural performance of the crop. In this era of increasing global food crisis and changing climatic regimes, such ability is highly desirable.”
The Latest Bing News on:
Sunflower oilseed crop
- Sunflowers greet visitors to St. Luke's Anderson Campus, are expected to last a few more weekson August 1, 2022 at 12:15 pm
On a recent visit, red-winged blackbirds, cardinals, finches and raptors flew among and near the flowers, while bees extracted pollen and nectar from the field of green and yellow.
- Strategie Grains cuts EU sunseed forecast as drought buildson August 1, 2022 at 12:53 am
Strategie Grains has lowered its forecast for this year's European Union sunflower seed crop to 10.35 million tonnes from 10.87 million forecast a month ago, the consultancy said, citing the impact of ...
- Sunflower appeal grows despite crushing voidon July 31, 2022 at 3:56 pm
Sunflowers are attracting renewed interest from growers as far south as the Murray Valley who are looking for a rotational option with agronomic benefits. ..Read More ...
- Farmers plant record area to canola as oilseed prices soaron July 29, 2022 at 4:30 pm
Eye-watering prices have led canola farmers to sow a record number of hectares this year, but will yields match last year's crop?
- Trichy: Good procurement prices woo farmers to cultivate sunfloweron July 28, 2022 at 5:37 pm
India imports most of its sunflower oil from Ukraine and Russia. Due to instability in both countries, farmers can make a profit if they raise the crop in a larger area, an official said TRICHY ...
- North Dakota’s Sunflower Bloom is a Must-See Attraction!on July 28, 2022 at 2:40 pm
Yellow spread out as far as the eye can see. This isn’t a brick road, but North Dakota sunflowers following the sun as it heralds ...
- Falls in Europe’s crop yields due to heatwaves could worsen price riseson July 27, 2022 at 8:57 am
From Spain to Hungary, output of staples such as corn forecast to fall by up to 9%, adding to impact of Ukraine war on food security ...
- Sunflower acreage increases in 2022on July 27, 2022 at 12:53 am
Acreage was up from 2021 in five of the eight top states for sunflower production, with North Dakota leading the group.
- Farmers from Tenkasi district practise manual pollination of sunflowers as bees disappearon July 26, 2022 at 1:35 pm
With the Ukraine war disrupting sunflower oil supply, South Tamil Nadu's farmers have chanced upon an opportunity to meet the demand.
- Recent floods affect over 2.4 lakh hectares of crop area across the countryon July 26, 2022 at 6:48 am
The recent floods have affected more than 2.43 lakh hectares of crop area in different parts of the country, the Lok Sabha was informed today. Replying to a question on the impact of recent floods in ...
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Sunflower oilseed crop
The Latest Bing News on:
Genetic improvement of sunflower oilseed crop
- BMC plant biologyon July 6, 2022 at 5:00 pm
Functional genomics of a generalist parasitic plant: laser microdissection of host-parasite interface reveals host-specific patterns of parasite gene expression. Expression-based and co ...
- PloS oneon May 16, 2022 at 3:23 am
Maternal iron-deficiency is associated with premature birth and higher birth weight despite routine antenatal iron supplementation in an urban South African setting: The NuPED prospective study. A ...