Shuttle breeding in sunflower lines development

Abstract Shuttle breeding is a breeding system where generations undergo sequential evaluations at different locations, developed by N. Borlaug. Our study aims to demonstrate an opportunity of application shuttle breeding method in sunflower lines development and also to show its advantages and disadvantages. Experiments were mainly conducted at the Central Station (Krasnodar) of All-Russia Research Institute of Oil Crops (VNIIMK). Krasnodar region is situated in the Southern part of Russia near the Black Sea. Part of our work was made at Seed and Plant Improvement Institute (Karaj, Iran) and Experimental Station near Borozdjan (Busher Province of Iran). Released and experimental sunflower hybrids and lines of VNIIMK breeding were used as a material. The experimental design was randomized blocks with three replications. Each replication had four rows and two central rows were analyzed only to exclude the border effect. It is shown that the application of the shuttle breeding technique to sunflower was highly successful and results in elite line development.