An Overview of Genetic Variability in Helianthus annuus L .

The edible oil production does not meet the necessities of the country. An enormous amount of foreign exchange is used up on imports. Edible oil is the most important part of our food, but Pakistan is deficient in its production. More than 70% of edible oil requirements are met through imports. Due to restricted production of our traditional oilseed crops like cotton seed, mustard and rape seed, efforts are being made to raise non-traditional oilseed crops cultivation such as safflower, sunflower, and soybean. Sunflower has great prospective under Pakistan’s agroecological circumstances. It is a second oilseed crop after soybean and extensively grown for edible oil in different countries in the world. Edible oilseed crop growing is not popular among the farming community due to low per unit production and low cost to profit ratio. Sunflower has an extreme potential in nonconventional oilseed crop and has potential for satisfying the gap of demand and production of edible oil in our country. It has short maturity period (90-110 days) and can be simply adjusted in our cropping Abstract Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is an important oilseed crop through out the world. It is highly affected by biotic and abiotic stresses like drought, heat, cold, insect/pest attack, fungal, viral and bacterial diseases. Pakistan is facing severe shortage of edible oil. Sunflower can be a good alternative source for the fulfilling oil requirement due to its ideal characteristics. Due to restricted production of our traditional oilseed crops like cotton seed, mustard and rape seed, efforts are being made to raise non-traditional oilseed crops cultivation such as safflower, sunflower, and soybean. Heritability, specific combining ability, dominance effects, heterosis can be subjected greatly in sunflower for improved oil content and seed yield. Hybrids are resistant to foliar diseases and are more vigorous. Hybrid cultivars express superior production as associated to open pollinated populations due to heterosis and they have improved the crop production. The present review will help its reader to understand the phenomena of heterosis, sunflower adaptability to diverse environments and will deal with problem related to oil quality and achene yield.