Characterization of Hybrids, forms and Lines, Obtained from Interspecific Hybridization of Cultivated Sunflower Helianthus Annuus L. with Wild Species of Genus Helianthus

ABSTRACT

The interspecific hybrids, produced from crosses between cultivated sunflower (Helianthus annuus) and 16 wild species of genus Helianthus. The rate of cross-compatibility was different. The F₁ plants had an annual or perennial growth cycle, branched stem and different anthocyanin coloration, vegetation period and seed colour. The hybrid nature of the some F₁ plants was confirmed trough cytological, RAPD and electrophoretic analyses of seed storage proteins.

Breeding of the new sunflower forms and lines was carried out through backcrossing to cultivated sunflower, self-pollination and sib-pollination and selection in generations. Most of the new obtained lines were resistant to some fungal diseases and the parasite Orobanche cumana and had high combining ability. It was established that some of them carried Rf genes for CMS Pet-1. Genes that controlled such characters as period of vegetation, plant height, type of branching, size and form of inflorerescence and seeds, high seed oil content were transferred, too. These characters make the lines suitable to including for heterosis breeding in sunflower.

Keywords:

• Helianthus
• interspecific hybridization
• resistance
• sunflower