Editor’s Note: This article is part of a series on major contributions to plant breeding and science in Canada’s public sector including innovations in: Canola, Barley, Oat, and Triticale, Wheat, Sunflower, Pulses, Oilseeds, Horticultural Crops, and comments from our editorial board.
Canada’s Only Confection Sunflower Breeding Program Stays Strong
Manitoba Crop Alliance
Confection sunflower stands as a valuable and ecologically significant crop in Canada, offering benefits like carbon sequestration, water preservation, and pollinator attraction, making it an ideal addition to resilient crop rotations. However, its potential is hindered by limited genetic diversity for local conditions and susceptibility to diseases like rust and downy mildew, coupled with inadequate weed control measures. The predominant hybrid used by growers, over 30 years old, lacks vigour and disease resistance, further challenging production.
The Manitoba Crop Alliance (which represents wheat, barley, winter wheat, corn, flax and sunflower farmers) has made big investments to establish Canada’s sole hybrid confection sunflower breeding program. The producer group aims to enrich the genetic pool of confection sunflower varieties by introducing novel germplasm, thereby developing parental lines with enhanced disease and herbicide resistance tailored to Canadian agroecosystems.
By prioritizing breeding efforts that align with Canadian growing conditions, the program seeks to deliver sunflower hybrids optimized for resilience and productivity at the local level, ensuring the sustainability and profitability of confection sunflower cultivation in Canada.
Editor’s Note: This article is part of a series on major contributions to plant breeding and science in Canada’s public sector including innovations in: Canola, Barley, Oat, and Triticale, Wheat, Sunflower, Pulses, Oilseeds, Horticultural Crops, and comments from our editorial board. Use the buttons below to explore these exciting new innovations or read from the start.
