Cultivation

The cultivation of sunflowers as oil plants first emerged in the 19th century. Today they are grown worldwide in regions with a warm to moderate climate. In 2005, the world production of sunflower seeds was 30.76 million tons. The main producing counties are Russia, the Ukraine, Argentina, China, India, the USA, France and the Balkan countries.

Utilisation

Sunflower seeds are composed of 50% fat and 20% protein.

Sunflowers are used in different ways as foodstuffs:

• the seeds in nut mixtures as snacks and in backing
• as sunflower seed oil, and for margarine
• as defatted, protein rich flour for special bakery products
• by-products of the oil production are lecithin and tocopherol(vitamin E)

• pectin can be prepared from the stems and fruit peel and is used as a thickening and binding agent.

Renewable primary products, energy crops:

Sunflower oil is used as a basis for:

• biodiesel and biomethane
• paints and varnish, softener as well as lubricant
• candles, soap and cosmetics

• cellulose for paper manufacture can be produced from the stems.

By-products of sunflower seed oil production:

• oil cake can be used as feed for domestic animals

Gene technology: aims of research and development

Agronomic traits

Resistance against pathogens:

• fungal resistance

Resistance against pests:

• insect resistance

Weed control:

• tolerance to herbicides and

• resistance against parasitic herbaceous plants (bloomrape)

Adaptation to climate and location factors:

• drought resistance

Quality traits

Modified composition of components:

• fatty acids, storage proteins

Plant development:

• increased yields (male sterility, production of high-yield hybrids)

Field trials with GM sunflowers

Utilisation of GM-sunflowers

In Canada a novel strain of sunflower with resistance against imidazolinone-containing herbicides has been approved. The new characteristics of this variety of sunflower revert to a natural mutation.
In Canada, novel forms of plants require approval, independent of breeding method applied. However, in the USA and the EU only gene-modified plants have to run through the approval procedure. This is not the case for novel plants that have been developed through other methods, such as mutagenesis. No GM sunflower strain has so far received approval.