Sunflower Leaf Senescence: A Complex Genetic Process with Economic Impact on Crop Production

MOSCHEN, S.; LOPEZ, A.; PANIEGO N.; FERNANDEZ , P.; HEINZ, R.A.,

Senescence

InTech Open Science

Año: 2017; p. 48 - 62

Leaf senescence is a complex mechanism process controlled by multiple genetic and environmental variables, which has a high impact on crop yield. In different crops, a delay in leaf senescence has an important impact on grain yield trough the maintenance of the photosynthetic leaf area during the reproductive stage. In sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), the fourth largest oil crop worldwide, the senescence process reduces the capacity of plants to maintain their green leaf area for longer periods, especially during the grain filling phase, thus leading to important economic losses. In crop species, taking into account the temporal gap between the onset and the phenotypic detection of the senescence process, candidate genes are indispensable to enable the early detection of senescence and, at the same time, the identification and characterization of functional stay-green genotypes represents key tools for breeding application and for contribution to elucidate molecular mechanisms.Thus, given the importance of the stay-green genotypes to conduct studies on this complex process, a comprehensive literature revision of leaf senescence process not only in model plant species but also focusing in agronomical relevant crops is presented. Results derived from system biology approaches integrating transcriptomic and metabolomic data as well as those leading to the selection and characterization of stay green sunflower genotypes are also included. This chapter will contribute to the knowledge of leaf senescence process in sunflower, as well as, in different agronomical important crops, providing a valuable tool to assist in crop breeding.