Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is a major oilseed crop increasingly challenged by both biotic and abiotic stresses that threaten yield stability worldwide. Traditionally, research and breeding efforts have focused on single stress factors, such as resistance to diseases, pests, broomrape (Orobanche cumana Wallr.) or tolerance to drought and heat. While these approaches have delivered important advances, they do not fully reflect field conditions, where multiple stresses frequently occur simultaneously or sequentially. This highlights the need to shift from single-trait resistance toward integrated resilience, combining resistance, tolerance, and adaptability, is therefore essential to sustain sunflower productivity and stability.

This Research Topic is associated with the 6th International Symposium on Broomrape in Sunflower and the 1st Meeting on Sunflower Biotic and Abiotic Stress, held in Novi Sad, 15-18 Jun 2026. The initiative brings together expertise in sunflower breeding and production, pest and disease management, resistance breeding, and adaptation to biotic and abiotic environmental stresses.

This Research Topic aims to:
• Improve understanding of sunflower responses to single and simultaneous biotic and abiotic stresses.
• Advance the transition from single-trait resistance to integrated resilience in sunflower under complex stress environments.
• Link molecular biology and plant physiology with breeding and agronomy by identifying key traits, mechanisms, and strategies that contributes to stable performance under climate stress conditions.
• Support the development of sunflower hybrids combining durable resistance to diseases, pests, and broomrape with enhanced tolerance to drought and heat
• Contribute to sustainable sunflower production and food security under climate change by providing insights for breeding programs, including trait integration, advanced phenotyping, and deployment strategies.

This Research Topic invites contributions addressing the complex interactions between biotic and abiotic stressors in sunflower. We welcome studies exploring physiological, genetic, molecular, and agronomic responses of sunflower to single and combined stresses. We encourage submissions that integrate field and controlled-environment studies, as well as modelling and predictive approaches.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Emerging sunflower pathogens/broomrape/weeds/ pests: challenges, mitigation measures and tolerance;
• Abiotic stress in sunflower: challenges, mitigation measures and tolerance;
• Pathogens/broomrape/weeds/pests and climate change: environmental factors effecting spreading and virulence;
• Sunflower resistance and breeding;
• Classical and multi-omics approach for sunflower resilience;
• Integrated management strategies: biological, chemical and physical control;
• Sustainable and smart sunflower cultivation.

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From Resistance to Resilience: Enhancing Sunflower Performance Under Biotic and Abiotic Stresses