PLANT CELL BIOTECHNOLOGY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

Genetic purity is essential for maintaining the identity, uniformity, and performance of commercial sunflower hybrids. This study identified polymorphic simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers for rapid hybridity confirmation and genetic purity assessment of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) hybrid KBSH-78 and its parental lines, CMS-78A and RHA-78R. Genomic DNA was isolated from young leaf tissues, and twenty sunflower-specific SSR primer pairs were screened using polymerase chain reaction amplification and agarose gel electrophoresis. Eighteen primer pairs generated monomorphic amplification profiles, whereas HA3640 and HA4011 produced clear and reproducible polymorphic patterns that differentiated the two parental lines. HA3640 amplified a 200 bp allele in the seed parent and a 150 bp allele in the pollen parent. HA4011 amplified a 150 bp allele in the seed parent and a 100 bp allele in the pollen parent. Both parent-specific alleles were simultaneously detected in KBSH-78, confirming its hybridity. Each informative marker recorded a polymorphic information content value of 0.375. The results indicate that HA3640 and HA4011 can serve as diagnostic markers for the molecular authentication of KBSH-78 and its parental lines. These SSR markers provide a rapid, reproducible, and environment-independent approach that may complement conventional grow-out testing in routine genetic purity assessment, seed certification, varietal authentication, and quality assurance programmes for commercial sunflower hybrid seed production.