The Value of Wild Relatives for Domestic Crops

Beloved by gardeners for their big dazzling yellow blooms, sunflowers are also an important oilseed and food crop. Agricultural Research Scientists have been collecting wild Helianthus species since 1976. The specimens are evaluated by the ARS Sunflower Research Unit staff for potential economically important traits before being stored at the ARS National Plant Germplasm System.

Most of the sunflowers in cultivation belong to Helianthus annuus, but there are approximately fifty known species. Wild species like Helianthus paradoxus, native to dry regions, may provide genes for salt- and drought-tolerance for breeding programs. The annual value of wild traits already bred into cultivated sunflowers is estimated to be at least US$ 267 million.

Links:

• ARS Diversifies Sunflower Traits from the Agricultural Research Service of the US Department of Agriculture


• Sunflowers from Horticulture and Home Pest News

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 4:30 PM on February 3, 2005

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