FIELD EVALUATION OF SCLEROTINIA HEAD AND STALK ROT OF SUNFLOWER FOR GENETIC MAPPING AND GERMPLASM DEVELOPMENT

The overall objective of this project is to facilitate genetic improvement sunflower for two major production limiting diseases, head rot and stalk rot, caused by the fungal pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Specific objectives of the project are to conduct inoculated field nursery evaluations of Sclerotinia head and stalk rot disease to: (1) Phenotype an advanced backcross population for genetic mapping of head rot resistance loci; (2) Evaluate test-cross hybrids and experimental lines for stalk and head rot resistance to develop genomic selection models for genetic improvement of resistance; and (3) Identify new sources of Sclerotinia resistance in interspecific hybrids of H. annuus with wild relative species.