AGR 301 :: Lecture 11 :: SUNFLOWER Helianthus annuus

IMPORTANCE OF SUNFLOWER OIL

• Among the vegetable oils most suitable to coronary system
• High level of linoleic acid and absence of linolenic acid
• PUFA (Polyunsaturated fatty acid) – Linoleic content is more (67%) and about 90% unsaturated (+monounsaturated 21%)
• Major ingredient in margarine and shortening products

Origin & spread

• Probably from South - West America
• Sunflower was introduced into Europe in 16th century
• Reached Europe from Mexico via Spain
• It was ornamental
• Reached Russia via Holland in 18th century
• First commercial production for oil -1830-40

Sunflower world scenario in 1999 (Million ha & million t)

(FAOSTAT, 2006)
Indian Scenario of sunflower

(Ministry of Agriculture, Govt. of India, 2005-06)
Favourable features for growth of sunflower in India

• Wide adaptability
• Photoperiod insensitiveness
• Shorter duration (60-100 days)
• High quality edible oil (PUFA)
• High seed multiplication ratio (>1: 80)
• Easier & cheaper cultivation
• Remunerative market price
• Suitable for mechanization

Stages of Sunflower

Erect, tall usually un-branched

• Plant height, head size, days to flowering & maturity are all vary due to environment
• Root – tap root - but thick root mat with short tap root is common
• May be problem in light soil to heavy mass - lodging
• Limitations in the exploitation of soil moisture & nutrients
• Earthing-up interferes with roots
• Irrigation frequency should be short to meet the demand
• Waterlogging adversely affects the crop due to weakening of anchorage and proliferation of fungal diseases
• The stem
• Mostly unbranched
• Branching is not desirable
• Basal branching may be useful
• Leaf axil branching problem
• N triggers branching
• Green stem contributes for photosynthesis
• Ht varies
• 80-120 short can accomododate more plants
• 120-150 medium
• 150-180 tall
• The leaf
• Varies with plant type and environment
• Limited to number of nodes
• 8 to as many as 70
• Arranged alternate at right angle
• The inflorescence
• Capitulum borne terminally
• Surrounded by one or more whorls of bracts called involucre (modified leaves)
• Head diameter is yield deciding factor
• Anthesis and fertilization
• Flowering from periphery
• Outermost opens first
• Daily 1-5 rows continues up to 5-10 days
• The seed
• Seed is called ‘achene’
• Seed size 7-25mm long, 4-13m long,3 -7.5mm thick
• Dormancy normally 10-45 days
• Oil content 36-37%
• 1000 seed weight 43-45g

The climate

Temp range 8-34°C
Optimum 20 & 25°C
Requires cooler (15-20°C) growing period and warmer maturing period (20-25°C)
Base minimum is 10°C
High temp (>38°C) in post-anthesis inhibit quantity and quality of oil
Rainfall of 500mm, with 300 mm it can yield
Avoid flowering coincide continuous drizzle
Soil

• Can be in wide range of soils
• Any soil with good drainage is more important
• Neutral to moderately alkaline soils
• pH ranges 6.5 to 8.0
• Complete failure in sandy soil with pH 4.6

Varieties
CO1, CO2, CO 3, CO 4
Modern, K2, K1, BSH 1
EC 68415
Hybrids have advantage than varieties

• High yield potential
• Uniform crop stand
• More self-fertile, less problem of seed set
• MSFH 1, BSH 1

Seasons
Rainfed
June-July, Kharif in North
Oct-Nov
Irrigated

• Dec - Jan
• April – May

Field preparation

• Fine tilth
• Apply FYM / Compost incorporate
• Ridges and furrows

Spacing

• 30 to 60cm according to variety
• 10 to 15 cm for short & medium stature
• 15 to 30 cm for tall (>120cm)

Seed rate

• @ 2 seeds per hole
• Seed weight of 45g/1000
• 30 x 10      30 kg
• 30 x 15      20kg
• 30 x 30      10kg
• 60 x 30      5kg

Seed treatment

• Trichderma 4 g /kg
• Azospirillum 600 g to one ha
• Soaking the seeds
• 2% ZnSO4 for 12hrs and
• Shade drying for rainfed sowing is desirable

Sowing

• Well prepared deep, friable seedbed is more preferable
• Depth of sowing 3-5cm

Plant population

• 55,000 to 98,000 /ha almost same yield
• If the head diameter is <10cm more population
• If >20cm less population

Thinning

• Highly sensitive to intra-specific competition

Nutrient management

• Fast growing high oil yielding thus requires more nutrients
• Low yield in India is attributed to poor fertile soil, cultivated in rainfed conditions
• A crop yielding 2 t seed, 3.2t stover and 0..8t root uptakes

82 kg N, 13 kg P, 60 kg K, 9.4 kg S, 37 kg Ca and 21 kg Mg.
State wise nutrient recommendation

• TN       40-20-20
• UP       80-60-40
• AP  - Rainfed  60-30-0

- Irrigated  Hybrids            60-90-30;  Variety       30-60-30

Weed management

• Fluchloralin / Pendimethalin
• 2.0kg as pre-mergence
• High volume spray
• Hoeing and weeding on 15th day & 30th day
• Within three days irrigate the filed

Water management

• Immediately after sowing
• 4-5 days later once
• Interval of 7-8 days
• Seeding, flowering and seed development stages are critical

Seed setting and filling

• Problem is seen with poor seed setting
• This problem is more in warmer regions
• In India seed filling under good management is only 75%
• It will be as low as 10-20%
• Reasons
• Genetic
• Environmental
• Physiological
• Availability of pollinators

Maturity
Physiological maturity (30-40% seed moisture
When the back of the head turns green to lemon yellow
There will be 5-6 green leaves at this stage
Harvest maturity (10-12%)
Delay beyond harvest maturity severe yield loss

 

Cropping systems
Sequential cropping

• Southern India
• Rainfed - Sunflower – millets/pulses
• Irrigated- Rice – sunflower
• North
• Rainfed - SF – wheat / chickpea
• Row intercrop
• Groundnut + SF
• Pigeanpea + SF
• Castor + SF
• Pulses + SF

Multiple choice questions

1. Origin of sunflower is _____
   a. India                                  b. Argentina                 c. South west America
2. Scientific name of sunflower is ______
   a. Helianthus annuus         b. Carthamus tinctorious        c. Sesamum indicum
3. Total production of sunflower in the world is ____ m tonnes
   a. 22.27                                 b. 28.48                       c. 33.23
4. Total production of sunflower in India is ______ m tonnes
   a. 2.25                                   b.1.25                         c.3.25
5. Oil content of sunflower is _________
   a. 38-40 %                             b. 30-32 %                   c. 36-37 %
6. Nutrient recommendation for sunflower in Tamil Nadu is ________ kg NPK/ha
   a. 80:60:40                                  b. 60:30:0                    c.40:20:20
7. Saturated fatty acid content in sunflower is ________
   a. 12 %                                 b. 15 %                        c. 10 %
8. Mono unsaturated fatty acid content in sunflower is ________
   a. 16 %                                 b. 15 %                        c. 10 %

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