Future Prospects - Genetics, Genomics and Breeding of Crop Plants - page 325

of south central and coastal Pakistan have been identified as potential growth
areas for sunflower production.
Improvement in agronomic practices might also contribute significantly
to increased production in some countries where sunflower is currently
grown. Beg et al. (2007) report that introduction of high yielding sunflower
varieties in Iran, along with standardization of sunflower production
practices such as optimal plant populations and row spacing for different
climatic conditions, has the potential to enhance productivity in that region
significantly. However, under dryland conditions, some open-pollinated
varieties were as productive as hybrids and may be more attractive to induce
farmers to increase sunflower production due to the advantage of both cost
and the ability to save seed for the next growing season (Pourdad and Beg
2008).
Potential new areas for sunflower production have also been explored
in the Mediterranean countries. Ismailia Governorate in northeastern Egypt,
where sandy soil regions have been reclaimed, has been identified as a
promising area for sunflower crops, provided high yielding hybrids are
used along with proper fertilization and adequate irrigation regimes (Abdel-
Wahab et al. 2005). In Italy, sunflower has traditionally been cultivated in
the rainfed regions of central Italy. However, interest in sunflower as a biofuel
crop has stimulated research, which showed sunflower can be a viable crop
under the typical environmental conditions of southern Italy (Flagella et al.
2006).
In the US, the two predominant oilseed sunflower production regions
are the northern Great Plains and the western central Great Plains. A subtle
production shift to the west within the northern Great Plains area has
occurred since the introduction of hybrid sunflower in the mid-1970s.
Among the reasons for the relocation was a predisposition for disease,
especially Sclerotinia, in the eastern Great Plains areas with higher rainfall.
Insects, particularly the sunflower midge ( Contarinia schultzi Gagné), which
is consistently destructive in certain growing areas, were also a factor in the
decline in sunflower production in this region. The recent release of
sunflower germplasm with improved Sclerotinia head and stalk rot tolerance
should lead to the development of more resistant commercial hybrids and
improve the potential for sunflower to move back into previously productive
growing areas. Germplasm with improved tolerance to the sunflower midge
has also been released, and experimental lines have been identified with
increased tolerance to other US insects. These new germplasms will make it
possible for a return of production to areas most susceptible to insect damage.
Migrating blackbirds continue to be a serious problem in the heart of
migratory pathways, and chemical, biological, and behavioral control
methods have met with only limited success.