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News

17 Oct 2019

Launch of the International Consortium on Sunflower Genomics

The International Consortium on Sunflower Genomics (ICSG), coordinated by INRA Occitanie-Toulouse, joins 4 public labs from France, Canada, United States and Israel, and 8 private partners. During 4 years, the ICSG will characterize genetic diversity in sunflower by producing new high quality genome sequences of wild sunflowers. These data will improve our knowledge on the structure of the genomes and on their evolution and facilitate the use of wild relatives in breeding improved sunflower varieties.

Sunflower with downy mildew

News

10 Dec 2018

Towards more sustainable resistances to downy mildew in sunflower

Downy mildew is a sunflower disease that can lead to an almost total loss of yield in the case of serious attacks. Thanks to long work on valorization of natural genomic resources and to the development of new genotyping technologies, scientists and technicians at the plant-microorganisms interactions laboratory (LIPM) have improved understanding of infection mechanisms which should help to reinforce disease resistance of sunflower in the field.

tournesol. © INRA

News

22 May 2018

Genetic resources of wild and cultivated sunflowers

As a public research institute, INRA explores and preserves biodiversity and genetic resources of several crops. These resources are available to public and private collaborators according to national policies and international agreements. In order to maintain a wide genetic diversity for research and breeding, the Biological Resources Centre (BRC) for sunflower develops its collection since the 1960s and is now operating at INRA Occitanie-Toulouse.

Sunflowers - SUNRISE project with INRA Toulouse

Press release

22 May 2017

Sunflower genome reveals symphony of genes involved in oil production and flowering

Less than one year after the decoding of the sunflower genome, in-depth analyses of said genome have revealed the hundreds of genes that work together to regulate flowering, and those that are involved in the production of oil. Carried out by INRA scientists¹ within the framework of the SUNRISE project in the French Investments for the Future Programme and in collaboration with the International sunflower genome consortium², the studies were published online in the May 22, 2017 issue of Nature.

Spore de Plasmopara halstedii, oomycète responsable du mildiou du tournesol. © INRA

News

10 Jan 2017

A major advance in characterising downy mildew resistance genes in sunflower

A team of INRA scientists from Toulouse and Clermont Ferrand has developed a method that can identify the proteins responsible for the virulence of the parasite that causes downy mildew in sunflower. This disease can cause an almost total loss of yield in the event of a severe infestation. These findings have just been published in the journal Frontiers in Plant Science. This advance should facilitate the characterisation of genes for the resistance of sunflower to downy mildew.

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