Submitted by Benjamin Blackman on
Reproduction is a highly regulated process in sunflower. A sunflower disk is a large cluster of many individual florets, each of which will produce a single seed if successfully fertilized. Daily temperature oscillations work together with internal rhythms from the circadian clock to coordinate the two-day developmental program over which florets open to present pollen and then receptive stigmas at reproductive maturity. Notably, we have found that different sunflower cultivars differ in when during the day these key developmental events, and by genetically mapping the genes responsible for that variation, we hope to learn more about how this complex process is coordinated. In addition, because this timing may be critical for successful pollinator attraction or for self-fertilization, identifying genetic polymorphisms that affect these traits may be helpful for breeding more productive sunflower cultivars.
The undergraduate(s) working on this project will help complete a field study to characterize the natural variation in these floret maturation timing traits and other reproductive phenotypes among cultivars in a large genetic mapping panel. This project will involve processing, scoring, and analyzing time-lapse photographic series of maturing sunflowers obtained in the field this summer in Davis.
The undergraduate researchers will be involved in data organization, entry, and image analysis. The student(s) may also have the opportunity to assist with completion of the field work if their schedule allows. The student will be encouraged to participate in weekly Blackman lab group meetings as well.
Students with strong interests in plant-environment interaction, evolution, and ecology will find the experience most rewarding. Attention to detail and good record keeping skills are essential. The student should be comfortable and enthusiastic about working in field conditions or working with image data for extended periods, and they will be expected to follow guidelines for safely doing so.