SUNFLOWER AS OBJECT OF STUDY FOR THE MOLDAVIAN RESEARCHERS

Over 200 years have passed since the introduction of sunflower into world agriculture and more than 150 years since this plant, known for its wide use of food, is grown in the Republic of Moldova. In this period, with the involvement of research institutes, universities and private companies, more than 1 000 scientific papers have been published, over 40 doctoral dissertations written and 12 inventions patented. By reviewing their content, we conclude that the research of the sunflower in Moldova has integrated the fundamental studies with the improvement and the creation of the hybrids – with the growth, development and harvesting, thus developing advanced cultivation technologies, created and approved over 100 hybrids that are marketed in Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Ukraine etc.