1. Genomics of Abiotic Stress Resistance in Wild and Cultivated Sunflowers
Investigator (*at F2F) Institution Expertise
Loren Rieseberg* U. British Columbia Genomics
John Burke* U. Georgia Genomics
Lisa Donovan* U. Georgia Ecophysiology
Nicolas Langlade INRA Toulouse Molecular Physiology
Emily Marden* U. British Columbia IP, Policy, & Regulation
Brent Hulke* USDA ARS Fargo Molecular Breeding
Sam Yeaman U. Calgary Bioinformatics
Navin Ramankutty U. British Columbia Land Use & Crop Modeling
Collaborators and End Users
Sunflower breeding: Zambelli (Advanta), May (AgCanada), Coque (Biogemma), Xiao (Dow), Wieckhorst (KWS), Anyanga (NaSARRI), Gerdes (NuSeed)
Germplasm & HTP: Marek (USDA), Andrade-Sanchez (U. Arizona), Bali (DREC)
Bioinformatics: Kubach (SAP AG)
Gene Editing: Parrott (U. Georgia)

2. The Challenge

3. Major Goals
Exploit sunflower crop-wild diversity to identify alleles that confer tolerance to drought, salt, low nutrient, and flooding stress, but with minimal yield trade-offs;
Create germplasm resources to efficiently deliver these alleles to sunflower breeders, enabling development of resistant, high-yielding cultivars
–Addresses the following focal topics of the RFA (p. 5): meeting the caloric demands of population growth, improving crop health, adapting crops to climate change, and lessening their footprint on the environment.
–Investment will translate into improved yields and productivity of sunflower cultivars, especially on marginal lands in Canada and elsewhere.

4. Cultivated Sunflower
Globally important – seed production valued at $20 billion US
Hybrid seed valued at $1 billion US, second only to maize
Canada is world’s 13th largest exporter & production expected to increase with climate change
Priority food security crop
Excellent genomic resources due to previous investment by Genome Canada
Collaborator & End User - Walter Anyanga

5. Wild Sunflowers
Flooding & salt tolerant sunflower
Numerous wild extremophile sunflowers cross-compatible with cultivated sunflower
Salt & drought tolerant sunflower
Drought tolerant sunflower
Low-nutrient tolerant sunflower

6. Project Overview
Activity 1: Abiotic stress resistance (GWAS / mechanistic analyses)
Activity 3: Develop & characterize MAGIC populations
Activity 2: Population genomic analyses
Activity 6: GE3LS - International treaties
Activity 5: GE3LS - Crop yield models
Activity 4: Functional analyses
Environmentally resilient cultivars
End
users
Deliverables
Next generation germplasm
Data mining resource
Crop yield models
Strategies to reduce barriers to agricultural innovation
Social, Economic & Environmental Benefits to Canada & Developing World

7. Project Management

8. Budget Activities Summary
Financial Overview
Budget Activities Summary
Co-funding Summary
Abiotic stress resistance: $2,874,568
(2) Population Genomics: $1,771,694
(3) MAGIC populations: $1,202,801
(4) Functional validation: $966,466
(5) GE3LS – Yield models: $212,367
(6) GE3LS – Intl. treaties: $373,031
(7) Administration: $638,844
TOTAL: $8,039,771
Secured (100%)
Genome BC: $1,752,158
*NSF: $2,482,094
Crop Trust: $100,000
INRA-France: $140,628
KWS Seeds: $50,000
Advanta Seeds: $27,000
Biogemma: $50,000
NuSeed $35,000
SAP AG $187,644
TOTAL: $4,914,524
*Verbal confirmation

9. Benefits to Canada & Developing World
Next Generation Germplasm
Enhanced Molecular Breeding
Project years 2-4
Strategies for Reducing Barriers to Ag Innovation
Sunflower Breeding Programs
Training of HQP
Crop Yield Models
Data Mining Tools
GE3LS
Gene Editing
Mutations Introduced into Soybean
HQP from Project enter Workplace
Environmentally Resilient Cultivars in Field
Within 5 years
Greater Clarity on Application of Treaty
Increased Efficacy of Resistance Alleles
Increased Agricultural Productivity
Reduced
Environmental Impacts
Increased
Food Security
Knowledge
Generation