Expert Advisory Details

Suggestions for sunflower farming

Sowing of sunflower should be completed in the first week of Ferruary and preference should be given to the early maturing hybrids such as PSH 1962, DK 3849, PSH 996, PSH 569 and PSFH 118. Under late-sown conditions in February transplanting one month old seedlings of sunflower hybrids give better yield than direct seeded crop. Direct seeded crop matures late causing delay in the sowing of the succeeding crops while transplanted crop matures early. Sow the crop in rows 60 cm apart with plant to plant spacing of 30 cm. The sunflower performs better when planted on Southern side of East-West ridges. Place the seed about 6-8 cm below the ridge top. Apply irrigation to ridge sown crop 2-3 days after sowing and water level in the ridges should remain well below the seed placement line. Treat the seed with Tegran 35 WS @ 6g/kg seed before sowing. Two kg seed is sufficient for sowing one acre. Apply 50 kg urea and 75 kg single superphosphate/acre at the time of sowing. In coarse textured soils, apply 50 kg urea/acre in two equal splits, half at sowing and remaining half one month after sowing. Sunflower grown after potato receiving 20 tonnes FYM requires only 25 kg urea/acre. Also drill 20 kg muriate of potash/acre on soils testing low in potassium. In Hoshiarpur and Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar districts, apply 40 kg muriate of potash/acre.