Editors:Jinguo Hu: USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USAGerald Seiler: USDA, Northern Crop Science Laboratory, Fargo, North Dakota, USAChittaranjan Kole: Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, South Carolina, USA

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• Basic Information: Economic Importance; Crop History; Botanical Description; Genetic Resources; Importance as a Model Plant; Conclusions; Classic Genetics and Breeding: Hybrids; Breeding Methods; Breeding Objectives; Classic Genetic Mapping and Cytogenetics; Interest of Molecular Maps and Knowledge of Genomics for Conventional Genetics and Breeding; The Introduction of Genomics in Breeding since 1995; Genetic Linkage Maps: Strategies, Resources and Achievements: Brief History of Mapping Efforts: Morphological and Biochemical Markers; DNA-based Marker Techniques; Mapping Populations and Tools; Achievement; Published Sunflower Linkage Maps; Challenges; Mapping and Tagging of Simply Inherited Traits: Disease Resistances; Herbicide Resistance; Male Sterility; Morphological Traits; Seed Quality; Molecular Mapping of Complex Traits: Identification Trait Loci Quantitative; Conclusion; Gene Cloning and Characterization: Map-based Cloning Approaches in Sunflower; Candidate Gene Approaches based on Homology to Genes of Other Species; Verification of Candidate Genes and Functional Analyses of Genes; Conclusion; Molecular Breeding: Overview of Components and Objectives for Molecular Breeding; Germplasm Characterization; Molecular Strategies to Create and Identify Novel Variation; Marker-assisted Selection; Molecular Breeding in Private Sector Breeding Programs; Limitations and Prospects of MAS; Oil Composition Variations: Mutations Leading to One Main Fatty Acid Accumulated in Oil; Tocopherols; Phytosterols; Acknowledgements; Transgenic Sunflower: Released Transgenic Crops; Transgenic Sunflower; Overcoming of Crop Constraints through Transgenic Sunflower and New Products; Debate about Transgenic Sunflower; Prospective View on Transgenic Sunflower Release. Future Prospects: The Past; Future Potential to Increase Productivity; Impact of Advances in Sunflower Genomics; Future Potential to Expand into Other Geographical Areas; New Uses; Outlook. Each section includes an Introduction and References.