Sunflower cultivation

Prince Verma
PrincV2008@gmail.com
 Sunflower

Scientific Name : Helianthus annus

Family : Asteraceae Composition of Sunflower Seed

Constituent Composition ( %)
Hull 21- 27
Oil 48-53
Protein 14-19
Soluble Sugar 7 -9
Crude Fiber 16-27
Ash 2-3

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 Area of Cultivation

Zone States
North Punjab, Haryana
Western Gujarat

Southern Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu & Karnataka

Central Maharashtra

* Yellow coloured area on map shows sunflower cultivation in India

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 Focus Area

State :Gujarat District : Kachchh Taluka : Abdhasa

Sr. No Name of the villages Expected acerage

1 Lala 1000
2 Prajau 1000
3 Gadhvada 500
4 Khirsara 700
5 Dumra 500
6 Kothara 1000
Total acerage 4700

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 Activities For Campaigning

Before Sowing During Crop Period

• Educate the farmers with POPs

• Farmers Meeting • Farmers meeting at 15 days interval
• Jeep Campaigning • Farmers training related to inputs for that
• Road Show area
• Local news paper advertise
• ICM Training
• Product demonstration
• Pictorial difference between seed verities
• Product demonstration
• Some gift Boucher scheme • Frequent visit of FO
• Training for harvest & marketing

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 Campaign Calendar

Sr.No Activities Date Person responsible

1 Farmers Meeting
2 Jeep Campaigning
3 Local news paper advertise
4 Product demonstration
5 Pictorial difference between seed verities
6 Some gift Boucher scheme
7 Other activities
8 Activities during crop period
9 Activities during crop period

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 Seed Variety

• PAC 361 : Late sowing, Duration : > 105 days

• Syngenta 275

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 Sunflower Growth cycle

Emergence of 2 to 3
leaves per week.
The first few leaves are opposite
each other. As more leaves develop, the leaves
are arranged in an alternating
pattern up the stem

Alternate leaf arrangement

Germination & Emergence after initially starting
as an opposite arrangement.

Seed coat & Hypocotyl arche Bud formation

Sunflower
Head Development initiation

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 Agronomic Practices

Climatic Condition : Require hot and humid weather with the relative humidity of 50 – 85%.Sunflower
can be grown in dry areas too.

Soil Type
Sunflower can be grown in sandy loams, black soils and alluvial.
pH range : 5.7 – 8
Sunflower performs well in well drained, fertile soils with good moisture holding capacity

Land Preparation
Deep ploughing up to 12’’ – 18’’ followed by 2-3 harrowing & planking, collect the stubbles of previous crop and prepare
clean seedbed. Mixed 3-4 tonn FYM/acre in to the soil at the time of last harrowing.

Crop Rotation
2 or 3 seasons/years crop rotation with traditional crops (cereals/pulses/millets) will improve soil fertility. Legume or groundnut crops
are the best for rotation. Sunflower should not be followed after mustard, beans, peas (as they act as hosts for diseases)

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 Sowing

Sowing Time
Early sowing : Mid Dec- Mid Jan
Late Sowing : Jan Last week to Feb Last week

Sowing Distance : Spacing 60 cm x 30 cm

Method of Sowing : Dibbling method with furrow sowing

Seed Rate : 2-3 Kg /acre

Seed Treatment : Seeds should be treated with captan or ceresan @ 3 g/kg seed under dry land conditions

Thinning : Remove unhealthy & and vigorous seedling in each hole on 10th day of sowing. Keep healthy one.
Fertilizer Management :

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 Fertilizer & Irrigation Management
•FYM or Compost 3-4 ton/acre prior to sowing

•Basal dose kg/acre- DAP – 75 + MOP-25 or SSP-200 + MOP-25 + Urea 20 kg

•Top dressing kg/acre
1st Top Dressing: Urea-40 + MOP-25 (25 DAS) ;
2nd Top Dressing: Urea-40 (40 DAS).
(Follow need based application of Sulphur and Boron which are vital for seed wt. and flower opening)

Critical stage for Irrigation

Button stage : 35 to 50 DAS
Flowering : 55 to 65 DAS
Grain Filling stage : 70 to 85 DAS

Black soil: 3-4 irrigations (12-15 days interval)

Red Loamy: Kharif: 5-6 irrigations (8-9 days interval)

Summer 8-9 irrigations (7-8 days interval)

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 Sunflower stage Development

Fertilizer application Irrigation Stage Physiological maturity

Weed control

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 Harvesting
•Sunflower attain its physiological maturity in 100-120 Days

•Harvesting should be done when the back of the head turns from green to lemon yellow colour and the
bottom leaves start drying and withering

•At the physiological maturity, the seed attains maximum weight and oil concentration and harvesting at this
stage, results in highest seed and oil yield.

•10 percent of heads should turn brown and florets attached to the seed drop naturally.

•Delay in harvesting cause reduction in seed yield due to lodging of plants and more damage due to birds,
rodents and termites attack.

•Harvesting should be done by adopting proper method.

• Mechanical thresher should be used to separate seeds from flower which is labour saving and economical.

•Avoid harvesting during adverse weather condition i.e. rain and overcast weather.

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 Some facts about Sunflower

Sunflower is very sensitive to wind damage in the seedling stage and for this reason, cultivation on
light-textured soils susceptible to wind erosion, should be avoided unless wind erosion is being
combated successfully.

Sunflower is very sensitive to water logging.

Sunflower is very sensitive to high aluminium levels and should not be planted in soils with a pH
lower than 4.6.

The sunflower plant has a deep and finely branched tap-root system which can utilise water from
deep soil layers, even deeper than 2 m. Consequently, the crop often performs well even during a dry
season, especially in deeper soils or in soils with a high water-table.

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 Important tips to be remember
Avoid extremely high temperatures during planting time, as well as the possibility of frost
damage.

Compared to grain crops, sunflower utilises soil nutrients exceptionally well. The main reason
for this is the finely branched and extensive root system. The roots come into contact with
nutrients which cannot be utilised by other crops.

Young plants are very sensitive to strong weed competition and cannot develop fast enough to
form a full shade covering which can suppress weed seedlings. Therefore, the first six weeks
after planting are a critical period for the crop. Yield can be increased significantly by keeping
fields free of weeds during this time.

Harvesting should commence as soon as 80 % of the sunflower heads are brown in order to
minimise losses caused by birds, lodging and shattering.

Sulphur and boron application are vital for seed wt. and flower opening

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 Insects : Seedling Feeders in Sunflower
Stunted crop growth due to feeders

Molecules can be used : Brands available in market

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 Sunflower Defoliators

Sunflower Beetle Weber Thistle Caterpillar Grasshoppers

Molecules can be used : Brands available in market

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 Sunflower Seed Feeder

Head clipper weevils chew holes around the stem, effectively girdling Sunflower midge is a pest, usually in the northern plains, that causes the head
it. It breaks over, and could be mistaken for hail injury. grow in a distorted way (folding, convoluted). It could mimic hail damage
under the right circumstances

Molecules can be used : Brands available in market

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2…….. 2……..
3…….. 3……..

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 Grasshoppers in Sunflowers

• Grasshoppers are a sporadic problem in

Oklahoma, because they can build up in
large numbers and caused physical
damage to the leaves and seed.

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 Disease

Rust Powdery Mildew Alternaria leaf blight Head Rot

Molecules can be used : Brands available in market

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 Disease

Mosaic Disease Downy Mildew Necrosis Virus Selerotinia wilt

Molecules can be used : Brands available in market

1……. 1…….
2…….. 2……..
3…….. 3……..

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 Thank You

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