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Prevalence of Phytomelanin in Pericarps of Sunflower Parental Lines and Wild Species 1
Author(s) -
Seiler G. J.,
Stafford R. E.,
Rogers C. E.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci1984.0011183x002400060045x
Subject(s) - achene , sunflower , helianthus annuus , biology , helianthus , horticulture , botany
American sunflower breeders have not actively selected for the phytomelanin layer in breeding programs. Phytomelanin in the pericarp of sunflower ( Helianthus annuus L.) achenes can be an effective mechanism for reducing yield losses due to achene injury by larvae of the sunflower moth, Homoeosoma electellum (Hulst). The objectives of the present study were to screen achenes of publicly released parental breeding lines and wild species ( Helianthus spp.) for presence of phytomelanin in the pericarps and to evaluate and compare a rapid, inexpensive mechanical (scraping) test to a more time consuming, expensive chemical (potassium dichromate‐sulfuric acid) test, which served as the standard in this study. One hundred one parental breeding lines and 50 species of wild sunflower were grown during 1980–1982 at Bushland, TX. Five 20‐achene subsamples were examined from each line or wild species. Phytomelanin was present in 90% of the cms HA and HA lines, 37% of the RHA lines, and 100% of the wild species as determined by the chemical test. The mechanical (scrape) test agreed with the chemical test 92% of the cms HA and HA and 100% of the RHA and wild species cases when phytomelanin was present. There was not a significant difference between the two techniques for detecting the presence or absence of the phytomelanin layer in cms HA and HA lines as determined by Chi‐square analyses.