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Both virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies have been incorporated, resulting in a revolution in how people interact with their surroundings. This is because these technologies have shared the actual and virtual worlds. This study presents a novel technique for developing and optimizing animation characters that use virtual and AR technology. To realize this goal, animated designs, production, and realism will be developed further. By integrating virtual and AR, this endeavor aims to create immersive environments that present consumers with an experience that is both more intuitive and participatory. The suggested algorithm, sunflower whale with genetic optimization (SWGO), aims to construct high-quality animated characters time-efficiently. Algorithm offered in this paper, advantages can be gained where commitment is made toward efficient composition for good quality animated characters. The algorithm improves variables such as shape, action realism, real-time performance, and user interaction capture, all of which contribute to making the characters realistic and enabling smooth real-time interaction. Such effectiveness helps save time as well as unnecessary computation that is usually incurred while evolving characters, hence making the process cheaper without compromising on quality standards. This is accomplished by adding physical simulation and improving several variables, including shape, action authenticity, real-time performance, and user interaction. An extensive simulation study has been conducted to authenticate the success of this approach. These trials have significantly improved the effectiveness and quality of animation character creation and production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is widely cultured in globally tropical and subtropical regions, with better resistance to various abiotic stresses as a model crop. Despite the fact that zinc finger-homeodomain (ZF-HD) genes play an important role in responding to plant growth, development and stress resistance across the multiple species, the evolutionary history and abiotic function of the ZF-HD gene family in sunflower remain largely unexplored. Results: In this study, we identified 15 HaZF-HD genes (designated as HaZF1–HaZF15) in the sunflower genome, and they were divided into MIF and ZHD subfamilies. The proteins from the same group were similar in conserved motifs and domains, such as motif 1 and motif 3, constituting the ZF domain, were almost existed in 15 HaZF-HD proteins. Motif 2 (HD domain) was specifically presented in the ZHD subfamily. Collinearity analysis revealed that 5 pairs of genes with fragment duplication contributed to the expansion of HaZF-HD gene family. The analysis of cis-acting element demonstrated that the response elements related the hormone response and abiotic/biotic stress were the most prevalent, followed by plant growth and development elements. In the tissue expression profile, HaZF-HD gene family had the highest expression in leaves and floral organs. Additionally, RNA-seq and RT-qPCR analysis revealed HaZF3 responded positively in the initial stage of drought stress, whereas a prompt and significant decrease of relative expression value in response to salt stress was showed in HaZF6 and HaZF9. Conclusions: Overall, this study enhances our comprehension of the function of ZF-HD genes in positive regulation of responsiveness to abiotic stress and provide key candidate genes for sunflower stress resistance breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), belonging to the Asteraceae family, is the world's fourth most important oil crop. Sunflower cultivars are categorized into oilseed and confectionery types. Here, we present chromosome-level genome assemblies of two Chinese sunflower cultivars-oilseed and confectionery-using PacBio HiFi and Hi-C sequencing. The oilseed cultivar, OXS, has a genome assembly spanning 3.03 Gb with 99.58% of sequences anchored to 17 chromosomes and a contig N50 length of 154.78 Mb. The first published confectionery cultivar genome, YDS, mirrors this closely with a 3.02 Gb assembly, contig N50 length of 153.87 Mb and 99.40% of sequences mapped similarly. Gene completeness reached 98.2% for OXS and 98.4% for YDS, with LTR Assembly Index scores of 24.73 and 25.85, respectively. Comparative genomics identified rapidly evolving gene families linked to synthesis, growth, and stress defense. Additionally, we found high collinearity between the YDS and OXS genomes, despite three significant inversions, and detected 15,056 large deletions and insertions. These findings lay a robust foundation for advanced genomic research and breeding innovations in sunflowers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein kinases play a significant role in plant responses to biotic and abiotic stresses, as well as in growth and development. While the kinome has been extensively investigated in crops such as Arabidopsis thaliana , soybean, common bean, and cotton, studies on protein kinases in sunflower remain limited. Our objective is to explore protein kinases in sunflower to bridge the research gap and enhance the understanding of their functions. We identified a total of 2,583 protein kinases from sunflower, which were classified into 22 families and 121 subfamilies. By comparing the subfamily members between sunflower and other species, we found that three subfamilies in sunflower—RLK-Pelle_CrRLK1L-1, RLK-Pelle_SD-2b, and RLK-Pelle_WAK—had undergone significant expansion. We then investigated the chromosomal distribution, molecular weight, isoelectric point, transmembrane domain, signal peptide, and structural and evolutionary diversity of the protein kinases. Through these studies, we have obtained a basic understanding of protein kinases in sunflower. To investigate the role of protein kinases in sunflower's response to biotic and abiotic stresses, we obtained 534 transcriptome datasets from various research groups, covering eight types of abiotic stress and two types of biotic stress. For the first time, we overcame the batch effects in the data and utilized a gene scoring system developed by our lab to perform a comprehensive analysis of multiple transcriptome datasets from different research groups. Ultimately, 73 key protein kinases were identified from numerous candidates, and functional annotation revealed that they are key members of signaling pathways such as ABA, MAPK, and SOS, actively participating in sunflower's response to biotic and abiotic stresses. In summary, through the exploration of protein kinases in sunflower, we have filled the gap in protein kinase research and provided a substantial amount of foundational data. By using the new scoring method to eliminate batch effects between transcriptome datasets, we achieved the first comprehensive analysis of large-scale transcriptome data. This method allows for a more thorough and detailed identification of key protein kinases that are widely regulated under various stress conditions, providing numerous candidate genes for sunflower stress resistance research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment was conducted on a soil type Pellic Vertisols in the experimental field of the Institute of Field Crops - Chirpan in the period 2019 - 2022. The aim of the present study was to determine the influence of various predecessors on the grain quality of durum wheat grown under the conditions of organic farming in the region of Chirpan. Some indicators related to the quality of durum wheat grain were studied - protein content, wet gluten content, vitreousness, test weight, yellow pigments content. The influence of various predecessors on the investigated parameters related to grain quality was established. The experiment was conducted with the cultivar Progress. Averaged over the studied period under the specific agro-ecological conditions, the highest grain protein content was found for durum wheat after the predecessor peas (11.7% d.b.) and after the predecessor sunflower (11.6% d.b.), while after the predecessor cotton a lower value (11.2% d.b.) was found for this indicator. The wet gluten content after pea and sunflower predecessors (21.6% d.b.) was higher compared to the wet gluten content after cotton predecessor (19.9% d.b.). On average over the study period, the highest content of yellow pigments was found for durum wheat after predecessor cotton (19.17 Minolta b*), followed by that after sunflower (18.81 Minolta b*) and with the lowest content of yellow pigments was the variant after peas (18.54 Minolta b*). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An analysis has been made of some operational indicators of a self-propelled sprayer for spraying wheat and sunflower. The data in this study have been gathered and excerpted by the telematic system JD Link. It has been established from the obtained data that 66% of the area when spraying wheat (field A) and 46% of the area when spraying sunflower (field B) had been sprayed at a pre-set consumption rate of 150 l/ha. When spraying wheat (field A) it is evident that the actually applied consumption rate is 147.42 l/ha with actually applied amount of 8563.2 l, while when spraying sunflower (field B) the actually applied consumption rate is 148.33 l/ha with actually applied amount of 11908.10 l. It has been established that the engine rotations in a working engine are almost the same for both fields - 2485.93 min-1 in field A and 2495.55 min-1 in field B; at idle time the rotations had been the following: when spraying the field with wheat 1481.42 min-1, and when spraying the field with sunflower they were 15 % lower, i.e. 1253.83 min-1. The meane coefficient of engine utilization of the self-propelled sprayer when working, i.e. spraying wheat (field A) has been found to be 58.90%, and when spraying sunflower (field A) it has been 63.60%. From the results obtained it is evident that the consumed amount of diesel in field A has been 28.86% lower that in field B, respectively, with the average diesel consumption in field A being 7.27% lower than in field B. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Domesticated honeybee management (Apis mellifera) could be a useful tool to supplement wild pollinators and increase crop productivity. However, it is necessary to know the optimal hive density for each particular crop. Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is the third most produced oil seed crop in the world and is dependent on insect pollination to increase the number of seeds and oil content. We proposed quantifying the H. annuus dependency to pollinators and assessing the optimal hive density of honeybees to increase sunflower productivity in 2 ha plots immersed in an extensive soybean matrix in Argentina. We set up a field experiment of five plots with a different number of hives each one (0, 5, 10, 15, 20), assessed fruit set and crop yield of flower heads open and excluded from pollinators and insect abundance. The set and crop yield increased in the heads of open flowers. The crop yield did not present a linear response to the density of the hive, although there could be a positive effect of the intermediate densities. Crop yields were not explained by the abundance of the two most frequently pollinator species, Astylus atromaculatus (Coleoptera) and Apis mellifera, suggesting that sunflower productivity was limited by resources other than pollen (e.g., the low abundance of rains). Drought conditions could have limited the response of the crop to hive addition and also influenced the high A. atromaculatus abundance, which could play a pollinator role in this system. More repetitions (plots and years) are needed to get these results more robust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is an important oilseed crop cultivated extensively across the globe. High salinity adversely impacts plant growth and physiological processes. In this study, the data on the phenotypes, physiological indices, and expression of relevant genes from different pathways responding to the stress were collected to clarify the physiological mechanisms underlying sunflower's salt tolerance with the seedlings of two salt-tolerant (182265 and 182283) and two salt-sensitive (182093 and 186096) genotypes, which were exposed to 350 mM NaCl for 5 days. The findings revealed that, during the seedling stage, salt-tolerant sunflowers accumulated less Na+ and more K+, resulting in a higher K+/Na+ ratio that mitigated ionic toxicity throughout the plants, compared to the salt-sensitive resources. Furthermore, the salt-tolerant germplasms also exerted salt tolerance through the following several pathways: they maintained robust osmotic regulation by accumulating higher levels of proline, soluble sugars, and other osmolytes; they neutralized reactive oxygen species (ROS) by elevating the activity of antioxidant enzymes such as POD, SOD, CAT, APX, and GR; and they sustained optimal growth by boosting photosynthesis. Taken together, this study provided a more comprehensive assessment of the sunflower's physiological salt tolerance, providing insights that will inform further molecular studies on salt tolerance and accelerating the breeding process for sunflower varieties with improved salt resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is presented a review of literary sources, which disclosed an importance of rhizosphere being a certain biological buffer regulating interrelations between higher plants and soil and inhabiting soil microorganisms. The main factors influencing indicators of activity of rhizosphere microbiota possessing a complex of useful qualities for plants (converting of nutrient into accessible forms, decomposition of organic materials, increase of resistance to abiotic factors, stimulating a growth, antagonism to phytopathogens, etc.) are considered. The violations of interrelations between plants and their associative microorganisms caused by different factors, including the regulating by human ones – such as cultivation technologies, are able to decrease yield potential of agricultural crops including sunflower. The analytical review certifies the prospects to conduct researches allows determining an impact of agrotechnical methods (sowing dates, seed sowing rates, fertilizer, and chemical and biological plant protection) on changes in qualitative and quantitative composition of microbiota in sunflower rhizosphere and to determine their influence on yield and quality of products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study made an attempt to forecast the sunflower prices in Adoni, Kurnool and Yemmiganur markets of Andhra Pradesh by using the secondary time series data for a period of 147 months with an interval ranging from Jan 2011 to Apr 2023. For this study various Growth models (linear, Cubic, Quadratic, Exponential and power models) and time series models (ARIMA and GARCH) and Hybrid Times series models were applied. On consideration of the selected diagnostic criterion like R2, RMSE and MAPE, it resulted that Hybrid time series models outperformed among the selected models for all the three selected markets. Finally, the prices of sunflower in Adoni, Kurnool and Yemmiganur market were forecasted by ARIMA(1,1,1)-GARCH(1,1), ARIMA(2,1,1)-GARCH(1,1) and ARIMA(2,1,2)-GARCH(1,1) models respectively and prices of for the month of April 2024 were estimated as 5527.7 (Rs. /Q.), 5819.70(Rs. /Q.) and 5395.04 (Rs. /Q.). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unsustainability of current and future agricultural use has led to increased interest in using organic waste products, such as spent coffee grounds (SCGs) and compost, as alternative nutrient supplements. While SCGs are initially phytotoxic, upon composting, they can be utilised as a soil amendment; however, the minimum length of composting time required is not well known. Two glasshouse experiments were conducted to identify the concentration where raw SCGs are toxic to sunflower seedling growth and to assess the age and concentration at which composted SCGs are most effective for crop soil addition. Both raw and composted SCG substrates demonstrated higher water-holding capacities and electrical conductivity levels than commercial soil mix, though differences were observed in pH, with raw SCGs being acidic and composted SCGs being neutral. Concentrations of raw SCGs ≥ 35% caused large reductions in germination, plant height, cotyledon and true leaf emergence. SCGs composted for 6 months were non-toxic for sunflower seedlings and most effective at ≥35%, which could potentially reduce composting times by 50%. The addition of raw or composted SCGs also reduced the root/shoot ratio, though the cause and effects are currently unknown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Anbar Journal of Agricultural Sciences is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The study aimed to determine short-term crop rotations' economic and energy efficiency with varying sunflower saturation. The economic and energy efficiency of crop rotations saturated with sunflower under the conditions of the Left-Bank Forest-Steppe region of Ukraine was calculated using technological maps and prices as of 2024. The study employed the following methods: bibliometric analysis - a review of other researchers' findings on the economic and energy efficiency of sunflower cultivation; grouping - an assessment of the economic and energy effects of varying sunflower saturation in crop rotations; and monographic - the generalisation of the results. The optimum sunflower share in crop rotations was found to be 20% and 40%, at which the production cost remained consistently high at 1,218.0-1,240.8 USD/t. Increasing the sunflower share to 60% led to a decline in the production cost, not only for other crops but also for the sunflower itself. This negatively impacted overall price stability, reducing crop competitiveness and the economic efficiency of crop rotations. Winter rye exhibited the lowest production costs among all crops, regardless of the crop rotation, at 268.9-321.1 USD/ha. The production costs of soybeans and winter wheat remained stable irrespective of sunflower share, at 413.5 USD and 553.7 USD, respectively, indicating their adaptability. A 20% sunflower share in the crop rotation exhibited the highest energy intensity at 63,348 MJ/ha, while a 60% saturation slightly reduced this figure to 63,279 MJ/ha. However, the 60% sunflower saturation resulted in lower energy consumption compared to other crop rotation options, at 30,293 MJ. These findings indicate the high efficiency of crop rotations with a 60% sunflower share, as evidenced by the energy efficiency ratio of 2.65. As a result of implementing the optimised crop rotation system across 78.9 hectares, sunflower seed yields increased by 0.16 t/ha compared to traditional practices. This improvement led to an additional 1,046 UAH/ha in net profit and a 25.6% increase in production profitability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Brasileira de Engenharia Agricola e Ambiental - Agriambi is the property of Revista Brasileira de Engenharia Agricola e Ambiental and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A new species of Helianthus (Asteraceae), Helianthus waccamawensis Ungberg, sp. nov., is described from the Cape Fear Arch Region of North and South Carolina. Most recently, it has been included in H. floridanus A. Gray ex Chapm. but differs in its narrower leaves, achene and floral morphology, and habitat preferences. It superficially resembles H. angustifolius L. but differs in its extensively rhizomatous habit, shorter leaves, and achene and floral morphologies. It is further differentiated from the diploids H. floridanus and H. angustifolius by being hexaploid, and molecular phylogenetic data do not indicate a close relation to either species. In situ photos, diagnostic morphological photos, molecular phylogenetic data, cytological data, a range map, a list of additional collections, and a revised key for relevant southeastern Helianthus species are provide [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), a key molecule in plant biology, plays an essential role in stress response and growth regulation. Despite its importance, the SAM synthetase (SAMS) gene family in sunflowers (Helianthus annuus L.) remains poorly understood. Methods: In this study, the SAMS genes were identified from the sunflower genome. Subsequently, the protein properties, gene structure, chromosomal location, cis-acting elements, collinearity, and phylogeny of the SAMS gene family were analyzed by bioinformatic methods. Finally, the expression patterns of SAMS genes in different tissues, under different hormonal treatment and abiotic stress were analyzed based on transcriptome data and qRT-PCR. Results: This study identified 58 SAMS genes across nine cultivated sunflower species, which were phylogenetically classified into seven distinct subgroups. Physicochemical properties and gene structure analysis showed that the SAMS genes are tightly conserved between cultivars. Collinearity analysis revealed segmental duplications as the primary driver of gene family expansion. The codon usage bias analysis suggested that natural selection substantially shapes the codon usage patterns of sunflower SAMS genes, with a bias for G/C-ending high-frequency codons, particularly encoding glycine, leucine, and arginine. Analysis of the cis-regulatory elements in promoter regions, implied their potential roles in stress responsiveness. Differential expression patterns for HanSAMS genes were observed in different tissues as well as under hormone treatment or abiotic stress conditions by analyzing RNA-seq data from previous studies and qRT-PCR data in our current study. The majority of genes demonstrated a robust response to BRA and IAA treatments in leaf tissues, with no significant expression change observed in roots, suggesting the response of HanSAMS genes to hormones is tissue-specific. Expression analyses under abiotic stresses demonstrated diverse expression profiles of HanSAMS genes, with HanSAMS5 showing significant upregulation in response to both drought and salt stresses. Discussion: This comprehensive genomic and expression analysis provides valuable insights into the SAMS gene family in sunflowers, laying a robust foundation for future functional studies and applications in crop improvement for stress resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing high-yielding varieties of sunflower as oilseed staple crops requires knowledge of physiological and molecular mechanisms involved in yield formation. Source strength, sink demand, and their interactions play crucial roles in the yield formation of sunflowers. The persistence of assimilate flux to the developing grains mainly determines sink demand. There was no information on the molecular mechanism for assimilate flux to the sink organ of sunflowers. To shed light on molecular events engaging in assimilate flux to sink organs, two experiments were carried out on five sunflower inbred lines differing in their grain yields. Source-related parameters (such as leaf biomass, area, and number) and sink-associated attributes (such as floret number at the first anthesis and capitulum biomass and diameter, in addition to changes in biomass of capitulum and stem, at the first anthesis with those at physiological maturity) were evaluated across all the inbred lines. The Invertase gene expression level was measured on the receptacle base of three inbred lines, showing discrepancies in the source, sink, and grain yield performances. While no significant correlation was found between source strength and sink demand with grain yield, the results showed that higher grain yield was likely attributed to the persistence of assimilate flux to the capitulum base during grain filling. This phenomenon is discussed to be due to higher Invertase activity in the receptacle base. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Synthetic analogs of sexual pheromones provide an effective method of biorational control of the number of phytophagous insects based on the directed disruption of reproductive functions in populations of the target pest on the protected crop without affecting the integrity of the agrocenosis. The work aims to determine the biological effectiveness of methods of mass trapping and disorientation of the cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera) to protect sunflower (Helianthus annuus) crops. Methods: The experiments were carried out in 2022-2023 in the Central Zone of the Krasnodar Territory, Russia in the stationary scientific crop rotation at the Federal Research Center for Biological Plant Protection, Krasnodar (2.5 ha) and the Kononenko farm, Novovelichkovskaya village, Dinsky district (10 ha). The biological effectiveness of elimination and disorientation methods was judged by the degree of damage to plants and buds. The disorientation effect was calculated by the number of males captured at the disorientation sites compared to the control sites. Result: The decrease in males’ search activity (disorientation effect) reached 85.3%. The damage to buds by the pest in this variant was 2.0% compared to 10.8% in the control group. In the mass trapping variant, it equaled 1.5-3.0 and 7.5%, respectively, indicating the prospects of including these techniques in the H. armigera biorational control system. Conclusion: Our findings could aid future research on insect chemical communication to develop effective biological control methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The aim of the present study was to texturise protein from sunflower press cake (SPC) for being consumed as dry snack or, in its hydrated state, as a meat analogue. In preliminary experiments, feed moisture (15–25 g 100 g−1) and extrusion temperature (180 °C–200 °C) were varied when processing commercial sunflower protein flour with a protein content of 51.8 g per 100 g dry matter using low moisture single‐screw extrusion. The extrudates were analysed with regard to specific mechanical energy needs, texture properties in dry and hydrated state, colour, expansion ratio and water binding capacity. Extrusion parameters for achieving maximum expansion, textural force and minimal product moisture were found to be 180 °C and 15 g 100 g−1. Consequently, texturised protein was derived from deoiled SPC using these extrusion parameters. Initial deoiling of the press cake was necessary as it improved texturisation; a higher SME input reached led to increased cross‐linking of the protein matrix. The light coloured and significantly expanded extrudates with high water binding capacity and could serve as basis for further development of snack products or meat analogues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thrips, Frankliniella intonsa, is a highly polyphagous pest with a worldwide distribution. F. intonsa‐infested sunflower seeds show marked visual damage. The study findings revealed that significantly more F. intonsa infested confection sunflower compared to oilseed sunflower, via olfactometer bioassay studies, we found that compared with the flower and pollen of oilseed sunflowers, those of confection sunflowers attract F. intonsa. Considering this discrepancy in the preference of F. intonsa on oilseed and confection sunflowers, the volatiles of the flower and pollens of two sunflowers were analysed by gas chromatography‐mass spectroscopy. The behavioural responses of F. intonsa were assessed for these compounds using Y‐tube bioassays. Geranyl bromide, a unique volatile component of oilseed sunflowers, induced an assertive approach‐avoidance behaviour in F. intonsa, whereas the unique component ethyl isovalerate in confection sunflowers attracted F. intonsa. F. intonsa adults demonstrated significant attraction to the blends of confection sunflowers. Furthermore, field verification revealed that intercropping confection and oilseed sunflowers could effectively control F. intonsa. The study provided insights into the chemical cues used by F. intonsa in locating hosts. Therefore, oilseed sunflowers can be used as repellent plants to prevent F. intonsa invasion. Summary Statement: The damage to sunflower seeds is caused by Frankliniella intonsa. A previous study found that the seed damage rate of oilseed sunflower varieties was lower than that of confection sunflower varieties. Understanding the underlying reason behind this distinction can help us understand the behaviour of F. intonsa, thereby aiding their control. Our research shows that the attraction of sunflower volatiles to F. intonsa is the root cause of the difference in F. intonsa population. Geranyl bromide, a unique volatile component of oilseed sunflowers, induces an assertive approach‐avoidance behaviour in F. intonsa, whereas the unique component ethyl isovalerate in confection sunflowers attracts F. intonsa. F. intonsa adults demonstrated significant attraction to the blends of confection sunflowers. Furthermore, field verification revealed that intercropping confection and oilseed sunflowers could effectively control F. intonsa. The study provided insights into the chemical cues used by F. intonsa in locating hosts. Therefore, oilseed sunflowers can be used as repellent plants to prevent F. intonsa invasion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes a model for phytoremediation coupling transport in soil and dynamic model using sunflower plants and 134Cs radionuclide. The model was validated by comparison with experimental measurements. The error value obtained, ranging from 0.00045–0.5268, is quite small, and the overall simulation data has approached the experiment. Factors influencing radionuclide concentration in different blocks include saturation point values, absorption rates of plant parts, soil dispersion coefficient, and velocity. The model is used to predict doses from ingesting sunflower seeds and estimates the soil-to-plant transfer factor. This new model is recommended for accurate assessment of environmental risks associated with radionuclides and for efficient decontamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of different rates and combinations of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and silicon fertilizers in Alluvial-meadow soil and their impact on the export of basic macronutrients with sunflower biomass in a pot experiment. The test culture was an early to medium-early hybrid Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) - Sumiko HTS. The experiment includes 16 variants of fertilization with 3 replications. Data are obtained on the yield of fresh and absolutely dry biomass from the above-ground part and the content of N, P, K, Si, Ca, and Mg in the resulting dry biomass from plants. According to the experimental data obtained, the content and uptake of the examined macroelements with the sunflower biomass are significantly influenced by the imported rates and combinations of fertilizers. The highest is the uptake of nitrogen in the variants with the following norms: N200, N300, and N400. N uptake is the highest also in comparison with all other examined elements. It is established that the changes in the macroelements uptake significantly follow changes in the quantities of the relevant elements in dry biomass in the variants of the experiment. With an increase in fertilization rates, not only the content of N, P, and Si is increased, but also the uptakes with sunflower biomass. This trend with potassium is expressed to a lesser extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphs serve as flexible representations for capturing relationships between entities, while graph grammar offers a rule-based framework for transforming and generating graphs. In recent years, hyper-edge replacement graph grammar has emerged as a significant tool for generating both graphs and hypergraphs. George Paun introduced membrane computing, also known as the P system, as a computational paradigm that draws inspiration from biological systems. The intricate processes observed at the cellular level initially inspired the development of membrane computing. In this study, we leverage the ability of the hyper-edge replacement graph rewriting P system to generate new graphs using minimal-order hyper-edge rules, resulting in a large collection of graphs. Our primary objective is to produce cycle, tree, wheel, and broom graphs, as well as graphs that demonstrate resemblances to cycle, tree, and wheel graphs. This entails the generation of a multitude of graph types, including pan, prism, sunlet, tadpole, web, binary, ternary, k-ary trees, gear, helm, flower, and sunflower. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Przegląd Elektrotechniczny is the property of Przeglad Elektrotechniczny and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In saline conditions, establishing healthy seedlings is crucial for the productivity of sunflowers (Helianthus annuus L.). Excessive potassium (K+) from irrigation water or overfertilization, similar to sodium (Na+), could adversely affect sunflower growth. However, the effects of salt stress caused by varying K/Na ratios on the establishment of sunflower seedlings have not been widely studied. We conducted a pot experiment in a greenhouse, altering the K/Na ratio of a soil solution to grow sunflower seedlings. We tested three saline solutions with K/Na ratios of 0:1 (P0S1), 1:1 (P1S1), and 1:0 (P1S0) at a constant concentration of 4 dS m−1, along with a control (CK, no salt added), with five replicates. The solutions were applied to the pots via capillary rise through small holes at the bottom. The results indicate that different K/Na ratios significantly influenced ion-selective uptake and transport in crop organs. With an increasing K/Na ratio, the K+ concentration in the roots, stems, and leaves increased, while the Na+ concentration decreased in the roots and stems, with no significant differences in the leaves. Furthermore, an excessive K/Na ratio (P1S0) suppressed the absorption and transportation of Mg2+, significantly reducing the Mg2+ concentration in the stems and leaves. A lower leaf Mg2+ concentration reduced chlorophyll concentration, impairing photosynthetic performance. The lowest plant height, leaf area, dry matter, and shoot/root ratio were observed in P1S0, with reductions of 27%, 48%, 48%, and 13% compared to CK, respectively. Compared with CK, light use efficiency and CO2 use efficiency in P1S0 were significantly reduced by 13% and 10%, respectively, while water use efficiency was significantly increased by 9%. Additionally, improved crop morphological and photosynthetic performance was observed in P1S1 and P0S1 compared with P1S0. These findings underscore the critical role of optimizing ion composition in soil solutions, especially during the sensitive seedling stage, to enhance photosynthesis and ultimately to improve the plant's establishment. We recommend that agricultural practices in saline regions incorporate tailored irrigation and fertilization strategies that prioritize optimal K/Na ratios to maximize crop performance and sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The exogenous application of oxalic acid is a potential approach to amplifying phytoremediation performance on Cd-contaminated soils. However, few studies explore the optimal oxalic acid application regime from a perspective of coupling different concentrations and timings to maximize Cd removal rate. Given this, a pot experiment was conducted using oil sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) as the test plant. Oxalic acid was added to the pots at concentrations of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 mmol/kg at 20, 30, 40, and 50 days after emergence. A control (CK) without exogenous oxalic acid was also included. We examined the discrepancies in various soil Cd forms, sunflower height, plant non-protein thiol (NPT) levels, and soil Cd remediation efficiency under different oxalic acid application regimes. The results showed that applying oxalic acid at a concentration of 4 mmol/kg reduced the proportion of Fe-Mn oxide Cd and organic Cd compared to the control (CK), while increased the proportion of available Cd. The optimal application time is 30 or 40 days after emergence. The addition of exogenous oxalic acid promoted the growth of sunflowers, with the greatest increase in plant height observed when 4 mmol/kg oxalic acid was applied at 30 days after emergence. Exogenous oxalic acid enhanced the absorption of Cd by sunflower roots, with the total Cd accumulation in roots, stems, and leaves being higher than in the control (CK). When 4 mmol/kg oxalic acid was applied at 30 days after emergence, the total Cd accumulation in roots, stems, and leaves was highest. Under different application times and concentration levels of oxalic acid, Cd accumulation was highest in roots, followed by leaves, with stems showing the lowest accumulation. The NPT content in each part is as follows: root > stem > leaf. Applying 5 mmol/kg oxalic acid after 30 days of sunflower emergence resulted in relatively higher total NPT content in roots, stems, and leaves compared to the control (CK). The TOPSIS model was used for comprehensive evaluation, which showed that 4 mmol/kg oxalic acid application at 30 days after emergence could be used as the optimal oxalic acid application regime for phytoremediation. These findings indicate that the addition of oxalic acid effectively promoted the absorption of Cd by sunflower and increased the efficiency of Cd removal from the rhizosphere soil, with the optimal removal of soil Cd achieved by applying oxalic acid at a concentration of 4 mmol/kg 30 days after the emergence of oilseed sunflower seedlings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to accurately obtain the seedling emergence rate of breeding sunflower and to assess the quality of sowing as well as the merit of sunflower varieties, a method of extracting the sunflower seedling emergence rate using multi-source remote sensing information from unmanned aerial vehicles is proposed. Visible and multispectral images of sunflower seedlings were acquired using a UAV. The thresholding method was used to segment the excess green image of the visible image into vegetation and non-vegetation, to obtain the center point of the vegetation to generate a buffer, and to mask the visible image to achieve weed removal. The components of color models such as the hue–saturation value (HSV), green-relative color space (YCbCr), cyan-magenta-yellow-black (CMYK), and CIELAB color space (L*A*B) models were compared and analyzed. The A component of the L*A*B model was preferred for the optimization of K-means clustering to segment sunflower seedlings and mulch using the genetic algorithm, and the segmentation accuracy was improved by 4.6% compared with the K-means clustering algorithm. All told, 10 geometric features of sunflower seedlings were extracted using segmented images, and 10 vegetation indices and 48 texture features of sunflower seedlings were calculated based on multispectral images. The Pearson's correlation coefficient method was used to filter the three types of features, and the geometric feature set, the vegetation index set, the texture feature set, and the preferred feature set were constructed. The construction of a sunflower plant number estimation model using the crested porcupine optimizer–support vector machine is proposed and compared with the sunflower plant number estimation models constructed based on decision tree regression, BP neural network, and support vector machine regression. The results show that the accuracy of the model based on the preferred feature set is higher than that of the other three feature sets, indicating that feature screening can improve the accuracy and stability of models; assessed using the CPO-SVR model, the accuracy of the preferred feature set was the highest, with an R² of 0.94, an RMSE of 5.16, and an MAE of 3.03. Compared to the SVR model, the value of the R2 is improved by 3.3%, the RMSE decreased by 18.3%, and the MAE decreased by 18.1%. The results of the study can be cost-effective, accurate, and reliable in terms of obtaining the seedling emergence rate of sunflower field breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change has a significant impact on the entire agricultural sector, including sunflower cultivation. In the Republic of Moldova, alongside the applied agricultural techniques and the cultivated areas, the variations of climatic variables have a substantial importance in determining yield. In this study, the evolution of climate conditions during 2003-2021 period, the relationships between these variables and sunflower yield trends, as well as the territorial favourability of the Republic of Moldova for sunflower cultivation were evaluated. The analysis was based on the correlation coefficients between the average annual yield and the temperature values during the April-August period, the precipitation from the cold and the growing period. The results showed that the climatic conditions in the northern part of the country are more favourable for sunflower cultivation compared to the southern part. This difference can be explained by the uneven distribution of precipitation and temperatures across various regions of the country, highlighting the importance of adapting agricultural technologies to regional contexts to optimize agricultural production under the conditions of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) dry rot due to fungal infections causes the loss of a significant amount of potatoes. In this study, the antifungal effects of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) extracts against Fusarium sulphureum were investigated. The results of in vitro antifungal tests showed that all four sunflower extracts significantly inhibited the growth of F. sulphureum. Notably, the optimal inhibitory concentrations of ethyl acetate extract from sunflower disk (EESD), ethyl acetate extract from sunflower stalk (EESS), petroleum ether extract from sunflower disk (PESD) and petroleum ether extract from sunflower stalk (PESS) against F. sulphureum were 160 mg/mL, 160 mg/mL, 240 mg/mL, and 240 mg/mL, respectively. In addition, these extracts significantly inhibited the activities of polygalacturonase (PG), polymethyl-galacturonase (PMG), carboxymethyl cellulase (Cx), and β-glucosidase (β-Glu) secreted by F. sulphureum in three potato varieties: Longshu No.7, Longshu No.10 and Xindaping. These results provide a theoretical foundation for the biological control of potato dry rot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pathogen Plasmopara halstedii, causing downy mildew (DM), is a widespread sunflower disease which can be controlled by single dominant genes. Wild Helianthus annuus have been a valuable source of vertical resistance to control P. halstedii, but such resistance may eventually be overcome by new races of the pathogen. Alternatively, quantitative, or partial resistance, is more stable and may be combined with vertical resistance to prevent DM outbreaks. We assessed the responses of six populations of wild H. annuus naturalized in Argentina to race 710 of P. halstedii. We examined: 1) the aerial phenotype (including seedling death) using two damage scales and three disease indices, 2) the growth of the pathogen along the hypocotyls, and 3) the presence of the pathogen in the root system. We found that the evaluated sunflower wild populations had lower disease levels than the susceptible cultivated controls. A histologic analysis showed that the wild H. annuus seedlings showed cellular reactions (e.g. necrosis and the deposit of materials on the walls of invaded cells) to restrict the pathogen's growth, allowing the identification of two possible types of resistance: type I, when the growth of the pathogen was limited to the base of the hypocotyls, and type II, when the pathogen managed to invade the entire length of the hypocotyls. The wild sunflower populations also showed differential responses to root infections. A quantitative or partial genetic resistance, rather than resistance based on major genes, seems to be operating in the sampled populations. The individuals found to be resistant in each population represent promising germplasm for sunflower breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives: Early sowing date of sunflower in cold temperate regions can be a sustainable management strategy in areas with limited water resources. Field trials have shown that sowing sunflowers in late February to mid-March was the most effective strategy in terms of water efficiency and grain yield. So the present study was conducted to investigate grain yield and yield components of sunflower hybrids in the early sowing date, compared to the summer sowing date, and their effects on the physical and economic water productivity in the cold temperate regions of Kermanshah province. Material and methods: A two-year research (2022-2023) was conducted at the Mahidasht Agricultural Research Station of Kermanshah. The experiment was conducted as a strip plot with a randomized complete block design with four replications. The treatments included sowing dates as the first factor, including five levels: in the first year (March 16, March 30, April 14, April 30, and June 5) and in the second year (February 9, March 23, April 14, April 30, and May 20), and the second factor was sunflower cultivars including Shams, Golsa, Zarin and Lakomka. Data were analyzed using SAS statistical software (SAS 9.1). To investigate productivity of different sowing dates, physical and economic water productivity indices were calculated. Results: The results of variance analysis showed that sowing date in both years had a significant effect on yield and yield components, except for the number of seeds per head in the second year. The cultivars also had significant differences for grain yield and yield components in both years. The highest seed yield in the first year with 3921 and 3720 kgha-1 belonged to sowing dates of April 30 and April 14 and in the second year with 3782 and 3711 kgha-1 belonged to sowing dates of March 23 and April 30. The results showed that sowing in spring (April 29) and summer (June 4) in both years led to an increase in the 1000 seeds weight compared to early sowing dates (Table 2). Decrease in 1000 seeds weight in early sowing dates was due to the coincidence of the seed filling period with the increase in temperature in late July. Lakomka cultivar, which is an open-pollinated cultivar, had the highest seed yield in the first and second year with 3927 and 3957 kgha-1, respectively, and the Golsa hybrid had the lowest grain yield with 3163 and 2941 kgha-1, respectively. Based on physical and economic productivity of water, results showed that the early sowing dates of February 28 and March 23 in the second year had 74% and 70% higher economic productivity than summer sowing date, respectively, due to saving water consumption. Conclusion: In general, the results showed that the sowing date of March 30 and March 16 had the highest grain yield, physical and economic water productivity, but early sowing on the dates of March 16, March 30 and April 14 with a reduction in water consumption also showed acceptable economic productivity. The importance of early sunflower sowing in drought conditions and also when the price of water used in agriculture is calculated in real terms becomes more apparent. In general, the results of this study emphasized that the early sowing of sunflower, although it may not be associated with a higher grain yield, but due to the optimal use of water resources and acceptable productivity, it can be a practical and effective solution in managing water resources and dealing with drought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dye removal processes have gained importance with the developing industries. Among these, the fenton process, known as one of the advanced oxidation processes, is also very important today. In our research, the bionano-fenton catalyst was prepared by attaching nano iron to the polymer prepared using sunflower and chitosan, which are biological materials. Subsequently, using this reagent, it was aimed to remove DB 15 dye from water and this procedure was investigated. For this purpose, determination of optimum time, pH, temperature, fenton reagent and catalyst amounts for dye removal was studied. In addition, different techniques were used to examine the interactions between the obtained bionanofenton reagent and the dye. In dye removal studies, the maximum absorbance of the dye was found by scanning it with a 598 nm spectrophotometer. In addition, using this method and calculations, optimum time: 15 min., pH: 2 temperatures: 25oC, H2O2 amount: 600 uL (30%), and catalyst amounts were determined as 60 mg/L. It has been shown that 95.89% of the paint can be removed from the environment by using this method. In addition, changes occurring before and after dye removal were explained by SEM, TEM and photographs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work was conducted during the spring season of 2022 and 2023 at Regional Research Station (CSZ), B.C.K.V., Akshaynagar, Kakdwip (West Bengal) to study the effect of different sowing methods and N levels on spring sunflower (cv. SUN FARM). The field trial was arranged in a strip-plot design with two sowing methods (furrow and pit sowing) in the vertical strips and six N levels (0, 40, 80, 120, 160 and 200 kg/ha) in the horizontal strips. All the measured growth and yield components were found to be significantly higher in furrow-sown crop with 200 kg N/ha. There were significant reductions in yield components and yield when applying less amount of N. Furrow-sown crop on receiving 200 kg N/ha produced the highest seed yield (2.58 t/ha) and stover yield (8.40 t/ha), accounting for 337.29% and 113.20% more than the crop in control plots (without N). The highest seed oil content (38.83%) and protein content (19.60%) were achieved for the crop when sown in furrows and fertilized with 200 kg N/ha. The furrow-sown crop receiving 200 kg N/ha fetched the highest NR (' 60509.10/ha) and BCR (2.02), closely followed by the furrow-sown crop receiving 160 kg N/ha accounting for NR of '54463.85/ha and BCR of 1.92. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cultivation of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) as a cut flower stands out in floriculture due to its aesthetic beauty and commercial value. Understanding how cut sunflower genotypes adapt to different edaphoclimatic regions and management practices is essential to optimize flower quality and productivity. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of plant density and location on the development, growth, and quality of cut sunflower in tropical and subtropical environments. Plant densities of 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 plants/m2 were evaluated in tropical climate and subtropical climate using a randomized block design in a factorial scheme. Results showed significant differences between locations for plant height, capitulum and stem diameter, final number of leaves, leaf area, leaf area index, phyllochron, and the developmental cycle. Plant density significantly influenced these variables except for plant height and developmental cycle. The interaction between location and plant density was significant only for capitulum diameter and final leaf number. The findings indicate that both planting density and location significantly influence the developmental cycle of cut sunflowers, with lower densities favoring more robust plants at harvest. A density of 30 plants/m2 is recommended for efficient space use without significantly compromising floral stem quality. All produced stems are marketable, suggesting that adjusting planting density can optimize production without compromising quality, adapting to specific regional conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sunflower husk (SFH) contributes 45–60% of the total sunflower seed weight and is a by-product of the sunflower oil industry. Among other elements, SFH ash contains K, Na, Ca and Mg. These elements cause rapid growth of ash deposits on convective heating surfaces of the boiler, resulting in reduced efficiency. The aim of this paper is to examine the possibility of producing quality fuel from SFH by its pretreatment with the technique of torrefaction in a fluidized bed in superheated water vapor. Continuous monitoring of the innovative SFH torrefaction process allowed for the determination of optimal process durations. SFH could be converted into a biofuel, having high calorific value and suitable characteristics for co-combustion with coal. Furthermore, the torrefaction in a fluidized bed of superheated water vapor allowed for a 6-fold reduction in the required process duration in comparison with data reported from the literature for the process of torrefaction in a dense bed, along with a 3-fold reduction in the chlorine content in SFH ash. These effects are beneficial to resolve the problem of corrosion on convective heating surfaces of boilers. However, torrefaction in superheated water vapor did not significantly reduce the content of alkaline and alkaline-earth elements in SFH ash. Still, this issue may be alleviated by significantly increasing the duration of SFH pretreatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is a globally significant field crop, and disease resistance is crucial for ensuring yield stability and crop quality. Verticillium dahliae is a notorious soilborne pathogen that causes Verticillium Wilt (VW) and threatens sunflower production worldwide. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive assessment of sunflower resistance to V. dahliae across 231 sunflower cultivar lines, from the Sunflower Association Mapping (SAM) population. We employed EMMAX and ridge regression best linear unbiased prediction (rrBLUP) and identified 148 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and 23 putative genes associated with V. dahliae resistance, including receptor like kinases, cell wall modification, transcriptional regulation, plant stress signalling and defense regulation genes. Our enrichment and quantitative real-time PCR validation results highlight the importance of membrane vesicle trafficking in the sunflower immune system for efficient signaling and defense upon activation by V. dahliae. This study also reveals the polygenic architecture of V. dahliae resistance in sunflowers and provides insights for breeding sunflower cultivars resistant to VW. This research contributes to ongoing efforts to enhance crop resilience and reduce yield losses due to VW, ultimately benefiting sunflower growers and the agricultural sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to select drought-tolerant hybrids, 18 new sunflower hybrids along with the ZARIN cultivar were evaluated in a randomized complete block design in non-stressed and drought-stressed conditions in two experimental field stations (Gorgan and Gonbad) during the 2021-2022 cropping season. Based on yield (seed yield and oil yield) in non-stress (Yp) and drought stress (Ys), various stress tolerance indices such as stress tolerance index (STI), mean productivity (MP), geometric mean productivity (GMP), harmonic mean (HM), Stress susceptibility index (SSI) and tolerance index (TOL) were calculated. The results of the combined analysis indicated that the environmental effect justified the largest percentage of all data variations. Correlation analysis between drought tolerance indices with non-stressed and drought-stressed yields showed that HM, MP, GMP, and STI indices and especially STI index were recognized as the most suitable indices for selecting drought tolerant genotypes in sunflower. The correlation between oil yield under non-stressed and drought-stressed was significant at the 5% probability level. Three-dimensional diagrams based on STI index and yield in non-stress and drought stress conditions showed that H16, H10, H2, H4, and H1 hybrids had good performance in both non-stress and drought stress conditions and were selected as the most tolerant genotypes to drought stress. Therefore, these hybrids can be used for further testing, including adaptation tests in warm wet areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise: Plant functional traits are often used to describe the spectra of ecological strategies used by different species. Here, we demonstrate a machine learning approach for identifying the traits that contribute most to interspecific phenotypic divergence in a multivariate trait space. Methods: Descriptive and predictive machine learning approaches were applied to trait data for the genus Helianthus, including random forest and gradient boosting machine classifiers and recursive feature elimination. These approaches were applied at the genus level as well as within each of the three major clades within the genus to examine the variability in the major axes of trait divergence in three independent species radiations. Results: Machine learning models were able to predict species identity from functional traits with high accuracy, and differences in functional trait importance were observed between the genus and clade levels indicating different axes of phenotypic divergence. Conclusions: Applying machine learning approaches to identify divergent traits can provide insights into the predictability or repeatability of evolution through the comparison of parallel diversifications of clades within a genus. These approaches can be implemented in a range of contexts across basic and applied plant science from interspecific divergence to intraspecific variation across time, space, and environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Centrality measures are scalar values given to each vertex in the graph to quantify its importance based on an assumption. Stress and tension are the two centrality measures which depends on shortest paths. Stress of a vertex v is the number of shortest paths passing through vertex v whereas, tension on an edge e is the number of shortest paths passing through the edge e. In this paper, authors obtain formulae for the evaluation of stress and tension of certain graphs and graph operations with diameter less than or equal to two. Also obtain tension of some wheel related graphs such as gear graph, helm graph, flower graph and sunflower graph. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper was to investigate the effects of sunflower straw replacing corn stover on the digestive performance, lactation performance, rumen fermentation indexes, and serum biochemical indexes of dairy cows. Eighty Chinese Holstein cows with no significant differences in parity, body weight, and milk yield were selected and randomly divided into four groups of 20 replicates each, with each head as a replicate. The control group was fed a basal diet, and unflower straw in the experimental groups was replaced with 20% (Group I), 50% (Group II), and 100% (Group III) corn stover in the basal diet, respectively. The experiment lasted for 100 days, including 10 days of pre-test and 90 days of formal experiment. The results showed that compared with the control group, the dry matter intake of the three experimental groups was significantly increased (P<0.05), the apparent digestibility of dry matter was significantly increased (P<0.05), the apparent digestibility of crude protein in all experimental groups was extremely increased (P<0.01). The somatic cell count in the milk of Group II was significantly reduced (P<0.05), the microbial protein content in Group III was significantly decreased (P<0.05). GroupsII and III showed a significant increase in the levels of total protein and albumin in serum at 60 and 90 days (P<0.05). The production efficiency of Group I increased by 4.51 yuan/head per day. The study shows that replacing corn stover with 20% sunflower stalks can increase dairy cows' feed intake, improve digestion and absorption of nutrients, and improve milk production and quality, with no adverse effects on the rumen environment and liver and kidney function, and with better economic benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to meet the demand for mechanisation of sunflower segmented harvesting and tray insertion for drying, an intelligent tray insertion dryer was designed and developed. The machine integrates the functions of disc picking, disc flipping, bar clipping, lifting and inserting, and uses SolidWorks for accurate mechanism design and simulation, incorporating the YOLOv5 model for efficient recognition of flower discs and the LeGO-LOAM algorithm for accurate navigation and map building. In the experiment, 81 sunflower samples were collected to analyse data on disc diameter, plant height, rod diameter and stalk diameter, and to verify the recognition accuracy of the YOLOv5 model in different directions. The results showed that the precision of disc recognition was 95.54%, accuracy was 89.94%, recall was 95.54% and F1 value was 0.89. Using the LeGO-LOAM algorithm tested at different path lengths, the root-mean-square error of the navigational build trajectory was 0.15 m, with a standard deviation of 0.10 m. This technological integration improves the operational efficiency and supports the mechanisation of sunflower insertion tray drying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS) is the third largest sunflower producer in Brazil. This study verified the existence of linear relationships between grain yield, oil content, and oil yield in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) genotypes evaluated in RS. The data on grain yield (GY), oil content (OC), and oil yield (OY) were obtained from 73 sunflower cultivar trials in 21 municipalities in RS from 1999 to 2018. Scatter diagrams were createdto investigate the relationships between the variables GY, OC, and OY. Then, Pearson's linear correlation coefficient (r) was calculated between the variables, and the Student's t-test was performed at a 5% significance level. There is a positive and significant linear relationship between PG and OY. However, no linear relationship was found between grain yield and oil content in sunflower genotypes. Additionally, a positive linear association of high magnitude (r = 0.9672) was observed between grain yield and oil yield, while a low magnitude (r = 0.2245) was found between oil content and oil yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sunflower gray spot, caused by the fungus Phomopsis/Diaporthe helinathi, is one of the most damaging and limiting diseases. Finding sources of resistance is of key importance in combating the pathogen. Achieving resistance in sunflowers is closely related to studying the aggressive variation in the population of the fungus. Environmental conditions and the host phenological phase determine the quantitative response of Phomopsis helianthi. In the present study, the response of two sunflower genotypes - Favorite variety and Deveda hybrid – to three isolates of Phomopsis helianthi (Ph21- 614, Ph21-6212, Ph21-423) was observed during three contrasting growing periods. The infection was carried out in the phenophases - BBCH 39, BBCH 51-53, BBCH 61. To monitor the reaction of the isolates, a parameter - area under the development curve (AUDPC) was used, calculated based on a 9-point scale and the time of reporting. The lowest aggressive reaction to AUDPC was shown by isolate Ph21-614 (22.4), regardless of the genotype, phenophase and year of testing, and the highest by Ph21-423 (24.6). High aggressiveness to hybrid Deveda was shown by isolate Ph21-423 (26.8). In Favorite variety, a highly sensitive reaction was again reported for isolate - Ph21-423 (20.5). The phase in which the plants were infected and the most sensitive reaction was reported was "before budding" (for both genotypes, in the three years). Data from the three-year trial period indicate a significant difference in pathogen development and response to genotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mycelial compatibility of 154 isolates of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, obtained from sunflower and rapeseed plant samples, collected from 2019 - 2021 from 17 locations in Northern and Southern Bulgaria, was studied. The studied isolates were grouped into 108 local MCGs, and 60.1% included only one isolate. The Shannon index (Ho) at the studied locations varied from 0.718 to 1.00. The total diversity in MCG resulting from variation among individuals in the population was 92.2%, and the proportion of total diversity in MCG due to variation among populations was 7.78%. The clonal index for all populations was 0.299. In two of the six compatibility tests between isolates from different locations, 10 additional groups were formed, and one of them (MCGs-1D5x2D4x1SH3x1Y8) included six isolates from four locations (Dropla – Tsaricheno - Rish 1-Straldzha) located in three regions of the country. The results show significant genetic diversity in S. sclerotiorum populations based on mycelial compatibility between isolates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high level of genetic purity, preservation and maintenance of genetic uniformity of parental lines and hybrids are necessary conditions in heterotic breeding of a sunflower. The main method for determining the genetic purity of sunflower genotypes is the method of field soil control with the assessment of plants based on morphological traits. The purpose of the experiment was to study the possibility of effectively using the method of electrophoresis of storage proteins of seeds in determining the typicalness of parental lines and the hybridity of sunflower hybrids. 13 samples of maternal sterile lines, 26 samples of hybrids were analyzed using the methods of soil control and the method of analyzing the spectra of seed storage proteins. Research results have proven the highly effective method of electrophoresis of storage proteins in determining the genetic purity of seed of lines and hybrids. The concurrence between the results of the two methods in determining genetic purity was 84.4% for maternal sterile lines, 69.2% for hybrids. The method of analysis allelic variants of helianthinin increased the reliability of the results obtained in determining the level of genetic purity of lines and hybrids by 7.7%. The presence of atypical plants in sunflower crops on the trait of “high” and “low” leads to unreliable, increased indicators of the level of genetic purity by 23.1% with the method of analysis of the spectra of storage proteins of sunflower seeds. The electrophoresis method, based on the analysis of the spectra of storage proteins, can be used as a rapid method in determining the genetic purity of sunflower genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sunflower production depends on pollination by honey bees, Apis mellifera L., and wild bees. For wild sunflower oligoleges, preference for various sunflower lines seems to reflect the quantity (or accessibility) of floral rewards, with floret size (≈accessibility of sunflower nectar) appearing most important. However, it is less clear how honey bees, a key generalist, are affected by sunflower floral traits. The honey bee-sunflower interaction was explored to test if accessibility of nectar (≈floret size) and related floral traits explain foraging preferences and to assess potential nutritional variation in sunflower pollen. In the first two years, honey bee foraging preference increased with decreasing floret length similar to previous observations with wild pollinators. In the second year, no similar response was seen, though nectar rewards (by volume or volume × concentration) were remarkably low compared to the previous year. Pollen collected from bagged plants in the second year showed sunflower lines differed in concentrations (µg/mg ± SE) of total fatty acids and essential fatty acids. In general, it appears that honey bee responses to floral traits are similar to those of wild bees responsible for pollinating much of the sunflower crop in the central United States and that variation in the nutritional quality of sunflower pollen is greater than previously known. Because of the broad geographic distribution of the sunflower crop, additional research on how the environment influences floral rewards and sunflower-pollinator interactions may be needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Deviation from uniform target plant population density in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) production may negatively affect canopy closure, yield, and grain quality. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of plant density heterogeneity on yield, quality, and canopy closure in confectionery and oilseed sunflowers. Field experiments consisted of fixed differences in the number of skips/doubles per plot while maintaining equal total number of plants, and stand gaps with proportional decreasing plant counts. These were conducted in Minnesota, Texas, and Colorado, USA. Experiments revealed that yield was occasionally influenced by heterogeneity, with more uniform stand density yielding higher; however, substantial changes in uniformity of plant density often resulted in no differences in yield. Confectionery sunflowers compensated for yield losses in thinner stands mainly by producing larger seeds (observed range of 0.1%–46.2% of seeds over a 9.53 mm sieve), while oilseed sunflowers increased seed production per head (as shown by invariable test weight across treatments within environments). Plants that were unharvestable for any cause (most often due to head rot disease or lodging) were more prevalent in less uniform stands, and faster canopy closure was achieved in uniformly spaced plants. Although sunflower is very resilient to stand uniformity issues, these findings underscore the importance of uniform sunflower plant spacing for effective weed suppression and crop performance and highlight the need for further research into sunflower yield compensation mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With the progress of industrialization and urbanization, cadmium (Cd) pollution in farmland is increasingly severe, greatly affecting human health. Sunflowers possess high resistance to Cd stress and great potential for phytoremediation of Cd-contaminated soil. Previous studies have shown that humic acid (HA) effectively mitigates plant damage induced by Cd; however, its alleviating effects on sunflower plants under Cd stress remain largely unknown. Results: We employed four different concentrations of HA (50, 100, 200, and 300 mg L−1) via foliar application to examine their ability to alleviate Cd stress on sunflower plants' growth, chlorophyll synthesis, and biochemical defense system. The results revealed that Cd stress not only reduced plant height, stem diameter, fresh and dry weight, and chlorophyll content in sunflower plants but also altered their chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics compared to the control group. After Cd stress, the photosynthetic structure was damaged and the number of PSII reactive centers per unit changed. Application of 200 mg L−1 HA promotes sunflower growth and increases chlorophyll content. HA significantly enhances antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, POD, CAT, and APX) and reduces ROS content (O2−, H2O2 and −OH). Totally, Application of 200 mg L−1 HA had the best effect than other concentrations to alleviate the Cd-induced stress in sunflower plants. Conclusions: The foliar application of certain HA concentration exhibited the most effective alleviation of Cd-induced stress on sunflower plants. It can enhance the light energy utilization and antioxidant enzyme activities, while reduce ROS contents in sunflower plants. These findings provide a theoretical basis for using HA to mitigate Cd stress in sunflowers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virus-Induced Gene Silencing (VIGS) is a versatile tool in plant science, yet its application to non-model species like sunflower demands extensive optimization due to transformation challenges. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the factors that significantly affect the efficiency of Agrobacterium-VIGS in sunflowers. After testing a number of approaches, we concluded that the seed vacuum technique followed by 6 h of co-cultivation produced the most efficient VIGS results. Genotype-dependency analysis revealed varying infection percentages (62–91%) and silencing symptom spreading in different sunflower genotypes. Additionally, we explored the mobility of tobacco rattle virus (TRV) and phenotypic silencing manifestation (photo-bleaching) across different tissues and regions of VIGS-infected sunflower plants. We showed the presence of TRV is not necessarily limited to tissues with observable silencing events. Finally, time-lapse observation demonstrated a more active spreading of the photo-bleached spots in young tissues compared to mature ones. This study not only offers a robust VIGS protocol for sunflowers but also provides valuable insights into genotype-dependent responses and the dynamic nature of silencing events, shedding light on TRV mobility across different plant tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]