In April 2025, researchers from Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops (IFVCNS) visited University of Rostock to advance molecular studies on drought tolerance in sunflower. The visit focused on validating qPCR results from previous experiments in Novi Sad using sunflower material grown under PEG-induced stress at UROS.

The team tested primer combinations targeting ABA biosynthesis and signaling genes, compared efficiencies, and initiated new primer sets for follow-up experiments. In parallel, candidate genes were identified through database mining and phylogenetic analysis, integrating RNA-Seq data to refine gene selection.

This activity reinforced protocol standardization and data integration across CROPINNO partners, paving the way for a comprehensive understanding of sunflower drought response.