Patent ID: 8901377

Claim:
A method for producing a transformed sunflower plant, the method comprising: a. obtaining a radicle-free mature embryonic axis explant from a non-germinated mature sunflower seed; b. transforming the radicle-free mature embryonic axis explant of (a) with Agrobacterium , wherein the Agrobacterium contains at least one recombinant construct comprising at least one heterologous nucleic acid of interest and a marker gene conferring resistance to a selection agent; c. regenerating a primary shoot from the transformed explant of (b) by culturing the explant on a first media comprising the selection agent, GA3 and BAP under cycles of a first light period followed by a first dark period wherein the first light period has a first light intensity in the range of 10-60 μE m −2 s −1 ; d. transferring the primary shoot of (c) to a second media comprising the selection agent and IAA; e. inducing rooting by culturing the primary shoot of (d) in a rooting media wherein the rooting media comprises an auxin selected from the group consisting of IAA and IBA, wherein the culturing is performed under cycles of a second light period followed by a second dark period and further wherein the second light period has a second light intensity in the range of 10-60 μE m −2 s −1 ; and f. producing a transformed sunflower plant from the rooted shoot of (e) wherein the transformed sunflower plant comprises in its genome at least one heterologous nucleic acid of interest.