ABSTRACT

Sunflower is the most important oil crop in Turkey. Turkish people prefer firstly sunflower oil in the vegetable oil market. The over 75% of sunflower production areas are in Trakya Region which is European part of Turkey. Sunflower growers use mainly hybrids in the production and the seed quantity is about 4 kg ha^-1. The pneumatic planters are used mostly by sunflower farmers. The plant density is 70 x 35 cm and the plant population is 40-45.000 plants per ha. The planting date usually is between the end of March and the beginning of May depending on years and regions. The trifluarin herbicides are used mostly in the weed control in sunflower production. However, Imidazolinones (IMI) herbicides started to use widely (expected about 25% of production in 2005) in IMI resistant hybrids in the last years. The composed fertilizers (mostly 20-20-0) are applying only during the planting as mostly 50 kg ha^-1 nitrogen and 50 kg ha^-1 phosphorus rate. The harvesting time is in between August 15 - September 15 depending on climatic conditions. Sunflower producers sell their products to Trakya Birlik Farmer Association (over 50%) and other private processor companies. In recent years, the sunflower area in Turkey has been reduced due to low and variable prices and increased competition from alternate summer crops.

Key Words: Sunflower, Production, Growing Techniques, Turkey.

INTRODUCTION

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is growing mainly for oil production and for confectionery in Turkey. However, the uses for birdseed production, for ornamental purposes both in gardens and cutting flowers, for livestock use as meal and silage are very common in Turkey and the world. The preference of Turkish people mostly sunflower oil as vegetable oil and the being main crops in the rotation system in Trakya Region which has more sunflower production increase the importance of sunflower year by year in Turkey.

Turkey sunflower production is 800 – 850.000 M Ton and planted areas are 450-500.000 ha depending on climatic conditions and sunflower price in recent years. Turkey which has 3% ratio of sunflower production is in the first ten countries in the world (Kaya, 2003a). However, Turkey sunflower production is not enough for domestic uses. Therefore, the half of Turkey oil need is supplied by imported from some countries such as Ukraine, Argentina, Bulgaria, Romania etc…

The majority of sunflower areas (75%) are in Trakya Region which is European part of Turkey. Sunflower also exists in South Marmara (10%) and Black Sea Regions (10%) in the rotation systems in Turkey. Although sunflower high could be planted in different regions due to having high adaptation capability and high mechanization uses; sunflower could not produce in large areas due to getting low income and could not compete with other more profitable crops such as wheat, corn, soybean, cotton etc… in both dry and irrigated conditions in Turkey (Kaya, 2003b).

CULTURAL PRACTICES IN TURKEY SUNFLOWER PRODUCTION

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is well adapted to Turkey conditions. Sunflowers generally grow best on well drained soils, are tolerant of clay loam or silty clay loam soils and perform comparatively well on sandy loam soils. Sunflower is cultivating mainly under dry conditions in Turkey. Sunflowers are efficient at extracting water from the soil profile, especially in sandy loam soils, and can often tolerate drier conditions better than other crops. Sunflower needs 2600 - 2850 °C total temperature during vegetation period (between 100 - 150 days).

Planting

Sunflower is a broadleaf plant that emerges from the soil with two large cotyledons. Plant emergence will take 5-6 days when planted 3-4 cm deep in warm soil, but will take a few days longer in cooler soils or when planted deeper. Soil crusting can make it difficult for the large seedlings to push out of the soil especially in heavy clay soils and after heavy rains. Sunflowers should not be planted 6-7 cm deep. The seedbed should be prepared so that it is moist and firm with the surface rough enough to minimize soil drifting. A firm seedbed is desirable so that seeds planted at shallow depths in cool soils obtain adequate moisture for rapid and even emergence. The most efficient and economic method for soil preparation before planting is determined by researchers as the ploughing in the fall, then cultivating and harrow in the spring. The pneumatic planters are used mostly by sunflower farmers in Turkey.

Row spacing is mostly 70 x 35 cm in Turkey to allow mechanization for weed control and other cultural applications. Sunflowers are not particularly sensitive to seeding rate, since head size (and seed number) per plant will increase in a thinner stand. Seeding rates can be from 40 - 45.000 per ha. Sunflower seeds vary in size, so seeding rate based on weight must take into account seed size, but will be roughly about 4 kg ha^-1. Sunflower seed are selling by number in seed packages mostly 10 kg bags by seed companies in Turkey. Number 1 sunflower seeds are largest, while number 5 are smallest. Most sunflower seed available is sized as a 2 or 3.

Planting sunflower could be anytime after soils have warmed to 10 degrees °C from mid March through last week of May. Seed germination is starting at 4-5 degrees °C in sunflower. However, the planting date usually is between the end of March and the beginning of May depending on years and regions in Turkey. Soil temperatures should be 10 degrees °C or above when the seed is planted. This will probably occur in the end of March or early April. The seedling sunflower plant will tolerate lower temperatures but plant growth is very slow. Sunflower plants are generally resistant to frost before the six-leaf stage and become progressively more susceptible as the plant ages. However, the degree of frost resistance depends on the temperature and the duration of exposure. Seedlings may be able to withstand temperatures of up to -4 °C for short periods. Tolerance to cold and high temperatures contributes to sunflower adaptation in different environments.

Variety Selection

Hybrid cultivars having high yield performance, uniformity and resistance to pest and diseases are preferred mainly by sunflower farmers in both Turkey and the world. In today, hybrids are used in more than 90% of sunflower production areas in Turkey. Almost all commercial varieties of sunflowers are hybrids, so new seed should be purchased each year. Commercial sunflowers have flowers that are self-compatible for pollination, meaning they do not require a pollinating insect, although some studies have shown bee pollinators providing a slight yield boost. Sunflower hybrid seed production plots require an average of one bee for each 4–10 heads for effective pollination.

Most major seed companies have several varieties of sunflower available. Because of serious broomrape parasite (Orobanche cernua L.) infestation in more areas of Trakya Region which is European part of Turkey, sunflower hybrids are selling in three groups: resistant (25%), IMI herbicide resistant (25%) and susceptible or tolerant hybrids (25%). Pioneer has only one resistant hybrid (XF-4223) and is the 2^nd biggest private seed company in the sunflower seed sector. Imidazolinone (IMI) herbicide resistant hybrid planted areas were increasing in the recent years. Sanay by Syngenta Seed Co., Technosol by Monsanto Seed Co. and Rimisol Genc Seed Co. that IMI resistant hybrids are very efficient solution in problem areas both for broomrape and weed will be sold in the market in 2005. Additionally, broomrape susceptible sunflower hybrid having high yield potential could be chosen in uninfected areas in Trakya region and other parts of Turkey.

Regardless of whether they are grown as a single crop or double crop, sunflowers should not be planted in the same field more than once every two to three years. Sunflowers do not leave very much residues, so on erosive fields consider seeding a fall cover crop after sunflowers.

Fertility

Sunflower has modest fertility needs, but does respond to nitrogen. P and K should be applied based on soil test recommendation. On sandy soils, sunflower is often responsive to extra potassium fertilizer. However, K fertilizers do not apply usually in sunflower production due to rich K content in Turkey soils except recommendation after soil test. Sunflower appears tolerant of soils with a pH down to 5.5, but considers liming if the pH is below 6.0, to improve nutrient availability in the soil. Starter fertilizer for sunflower will usually be beneficial only in cool soils of early spring and should not be placed in direct contact with the seed.

The composed fertilizers (mostly 20-20-0) are applying only during or before the planting as mostly 50 kg ha^-1 nitrogen and 50 kg ha^-1 phosphorus rate by farmers in Turkey. However, fertilizer recommendations are 70-80 kg ha^-1 both for nitrogen and phosphorus and one time application before or during planting by the researchers depend on soil fertility for optimum yield. Because of higher uses of K by sunflower, if the soil tests recommend K fertilizer, the composed fertilizers should be as 15-15-15 formula. Nitrogen could be given as Urea (46% N) and Ammonium Nitrate (26% and 33% N) and Sulfate (21% N). These rates should be increased a little bite more and Nitrogen should be divided two as in the planting and before hoeing in the irrigated conditions. Farmer should check also fertilizer costs as pure nutrient component before application.