Ressources génétiques de tournesol pour l'amélioration de la stabilité de production d'huile sous c

The SUNRISE project aimed to elucidate the genetic, physiological and molecular basis of drought tolerance in sunflower, with the applied goal to improve crop stability of hybrid sunflowers in the context of climate change.

To tackle this challenge, 16 partners from INRAE (LIPM, AGIR, MIAT, CNRGV, EPGV, GQE, BFP), Sorbonne University, ENSFEA, the technical institute Terres Inovia, the biotechnology company Innolea, the seed companies Caussade Semences, Maisadour Semences, RAGT, Soltis and Syngenta joined their forces and expertises in this unique 8-year-long project part of the Investment for the Future PIA1 Biotechnolgy and Bioresources call.

First years were marked by the production of key genomic data such as the sequencing of parental lines involved in SUNRISE genetic populations and the development of two high-throughput genotyping tools. Unique and detailed phenotypic data were gathered in field conditions on 2 novel genetic designs (an incomplete factorial design including sterile and restorer lines of public and private partners, and back-crossed RILs) allowing the use of crop modeling to discover genomic regions controling productivity and multiple abiotic stresses stress tolerance. Understanding of drought stress responses at the physiological and molecular levels was launched and the proteomic, transcriptomic, and physiological data were successfully produced based on the high-throughput phenotyping platform Phenotoul-Heliaphen.

At the same time, bioinformaticians implemented the information system for the extraordinary amount of data to be generated in order to enforce FAIR data management.

Years 2015 and 2016 were marked by the re-deployment of project objectives in order to achieve the first high quality sunflower genomic sequence using long-read technology and the project was key in the acquisition of the first PacBio sequencer in France. Following years were very rich in scientific results concerning genetics, genomics, crop modeling and socio-economics with high-impact results for breeding and basic research.

The third genetic design (a nested-associted population from 9 parents) was intensely phenotyped in an international multi-environment trial using drones and new genomic regions involved in performance and cold, nutrient, and drought stresses tolerance were identified. Genomic predictions and QTLs involved in those traits could be validated using these novel phenotyping tools in 2019 and 2020. Finally improvements in genomic technologies allowed to describe the entire collection of cultivated sunflowers kept in the French Genetic Resource Centre for Sunflower and to sequence two additional sunflower genomes allowing to understand the unique structural diversity of sunflower genomes.

During the 100 months of the project, 235 persons worked for SUNRISE, corresponding to 268 positions and 2000 persons.months. Over the 268 corresponding positions, 98 positions were funded by the project and 170 were cofounded by the partners including 4 PhD positions. Positions were mainly based in the 9 public partners (160) compared to the 7 private partners (108).

SUNRISE results were largely disseminated in the press media at the national and international levels along the project and to the scientific community through 43 articles (to date), and with the organization the Sunflower and Climate Change international symposium held in Toulouse in 2018.