Sunflower is the fifth most important edible oil crop and contributes about 8 percent in volume in the world market. According to researchers at the Universidad Nacional del Sur, Argentina, there are many transgenic sunflowers but most are still under research and none is commercialized. Miguel Cantamutto and Monica Poverene predict that sunflower production would greatly benefit from the introduction of GM varieties.
The researchers enumerated that among the transgenic traits under field experimentation are those for tolerance for glyphosate and glufosinate herbicides, insect resistance, disease resistance, and product quality traits such as increased latex. Cantamutto and Poverene stated that the transgenic events do not offer any competitive advantage to the GM sunflower varieties and have low environmental impact.

However, because sunflower is a highly outcrossing species, strict environmental monitoring should be imposed and effective management strategy practiced in releases near the crops center of diversity. An example of an effective management strategy, the researchers suggest, would involve alternating the types of herbicides used. This should reduce the risk of herbicide resistance developing in the non transgenic sunflower populations.

The paper, published by the journal Field Crops Research, can be accessed at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2006.11.007..