Sunflowers are the world’s second-most cultivated hybrid seed crop (after corn), and sunflower oil is a dietary staple in China, Russia, Ukraine, and Argentina, to name but a few countries. Though U.S. farms represent just 3 percent of global sunflower production, the plant is native to North America. In other words, the wild genetic material that breeders need to adapt the crop for future uncertainly is found almost exclusively on our soil.
Source: Modern Farmer Fall 2015
