Sunflower genetic resources in the VIR collection
https://doi.org/10.30901/2227-8834-2026-2-o9
Abstract
The largest collection of sunflower genetic resources is held by the National Plant Germplasm System of the United States. However, since the American continent is the center of origin for annual and perennial wild Helianthus L. spp., two-thirds of the U.S. collection comprises wild accessions collected in North and Central Americas. The second-largest collection of cultivated sunflower belongs to the French genebank. The richest and truly unique collection in terms of genotype diversity is maintained at VIR, Russia. It harbors 2,306 accessions, which makes it third in the world. The first landraces and earliest cultivars developed at plant breeding institutions are concentrated here, since it was in Russia that sunflower crop cultivation was established. High-oleic cultivars, such as ‘Peredovik’, ‘Smena’, ‘Sputnik’, etc., served as initial sources for the first American lines for heterosis breeding. Domestic cultivars are resistant to broomrape, rust, downy mildew, and sunflower moth. The germplasm delivered by collecting missions from Moldova, Ukraine, Central Russia, and Primorsky Territory in the 1960–1980s is also valuable and unique. The collection has been studied by researchers in line with principal breeding trends. Long-term research activities have resulted in setting up trait-specific collections of high-oleic, high-protein, large-fruited, tall-growing, and pathogen-resistant accessions. Short-stemmed and CMS lines, as well as pollen fertility restorers, have been developed for sunflower heterosis breeding.
Supporting agencies: the research was performed within the framework of the state task according to the theme plan of VIR, Project No. FGEM-2022-0005 “Plant resources of oil and fiber crops at VIR as the basis for theoretical research and their practical utilization”.
About the Authors
V. A. Gavrilova
N.I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Vera A. Gavrilova, Dr. Sci. (Biology), Chief Researcher, VIR
42, 44 Bolshaya Morskaya Street, St. Petersburg 190000, Russia
L. G. Makarova
N.I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Larisa G. Makarova, Leading Specialist, VIR
42, 44 Bolshaya Morskaya Street, St. Petersburg 190000, Russia
I. N. Anisimova
N.I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Irina N. Anisimova, Dr. Sci. (Biology), Leading Researcher, VIR
42, 44 Bolshaya Morskaya Street, St. Petersburg 190000, Russia
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For citations:
Gavrilova V.A., Makarova L.G., Anisimova I.N. Sunflower genetic resources in the VIR collection. Proceedings on applied botany, genetics and breeding. 2026;187(2):9-20. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.30901/2227-8834-2026-2-o9
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