This study, conducted at the Central Laboratory for Plant Tissue Culture in Kirkuk, aimed to establish an efficient In Vitro protocol for Helianthus annuus L. by optimizing sterilization and micropropagation phases. The experimental framework, designed under a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with ten replicates, first evaluated the efficacy of Sodium Hypochlorite (as commercial Clorox) at varying concentrations (0, 20, 40, and 60%). Results indicated that while the absence of the sterilizing agent led to total contamination, a 40% concentration significantly minimized the infection rate to 30% without compromising tissue integrity. Subsequently, the research investigated the morphogenic influence of the cytokinin BA (0, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 mg L⁻¹) on vegetative development. Statistical analysis revealed that the 2.0 mg L⁻¹ BA treatment was the most effective for enhancing biomass and growth indicators, yielding the highest mean values for node number (3.250 per explant), leaf count (7.000 per shoot), and fresh and dry weights (0.862 g and 0.080 g, respectively). Interestingly, the control group exhibited the maximum shoot length (3.000 cm), suggesting a distinct response pattern to hormonal concentrations. These findings provide a standardized approach for the successful clonal propagation of sunflower industrial crops.
Rheem et al. (Sun,) studied this question.