Non- Traditional Crops

Non Traditional crops include Sun Flower, Soybean, and Safflower.

Sun Flower:

The sunflower is the oil seed crop. The Botanical Name of sunflower is Helianthus annuus belongs to the family Compositae. Its local name is Surajmukhi. The sunflower has a shallow root system. The tap root grow as deep as 3 m, but the bulk of the root system is present at 0- 0.5 horizon. The stem of the sunflower is circular, 3-6 cm in diameter. It is strong with rough hairs and slight longitudinal ridges. Sunflowers grow 1-3 m tall and its cultivars are also reported at the tallness of 5 m. Number of branches is present 1 to 12. They are all found toward the top of plant. The sunflower contain 20 to 40 leaves varies from cultivar grown and the present condition. Sunflower produces a disc shaped head called capitulum on the top of the stem. The head commonly varies from 10 to 30 cm in diameter, and heads as big as 76 cm in diameter has occasionally been produced, in each head there are 1000-4000 flowers. In Pakistan sunflower was first introduced as an oilseed crop in 1960’s.

Locality and Soils

Sunflower is a temperate zone crop, but because of its high adaptability it is grown in wide range of climates. It can be grown between 40o S and 55o N. Although for practical purposes it is often called as day neutral plant, insensitive plant, short day and long day types have also been identified. The highest yields are obtained up to 1500 m elevation. Sunflower requires 120 frost free days. It can also tolerate temperature from 8o-34o C, the optimum temperature is considered to be 20o-25o C.

In Pakistan it can grown on various irrigated land as well as well as rainfed lands. The most suitable areas for sunflower production are as follows;

KPK: Peshawar, Mardan, Sawat and Haripur. In Punjab: Rawalpindi, Gujrat, Sialkot, Lahore, Sheikhupura, Kasur, Sahiwal, Multan, Vehari, Bahawalpur, Rahimyarkhan, Okara and Sarghoda. In Baluchistan: Lasbela, Qalat and Khuzdar. In Sindh: Thatta, Badin, Hydrabad, Nawabshah, Mirpurkhas and Shukkar.

Sunflower thrives on nearly all types of soils including clayey and sandy provided that they are well drained. Acidic soils are not desirable for the sunflower production; though it can tolerate a pH range from 6.5-8.0. Salinity affects germination, plant growth, development and seed composition.

Cultural Practices:

Cultural practices involves different various recesses which are as follows;

Seedbed Preparation:

As sunflower has a well developed root system, deep ploughing with a mould bold plough or sardheri plough is necessary. Secondary tillage implements such as disc harrows or tines should be used to level the field for plantation and for subsequent irrigations. It is important that soil around the seed should be in moist condition during the germination. With light soils the soil should be pressed during planting to make good contact between seed and moist soil for good production. This technique is especially important in dry rainfed areas.

Nutrients Requirement:

Sunflower has a low harvest index and is usually called as inefficient converter of plant nutrients. Exact nutrient determination is necessary for the nutrient requirement.

100 kg of seed require 6, 2 and 18 kg of N, P2O5 and K respectively. Balanced application of NPK is essential. Otherwise N alone reduce yield and oil content of seed. Nitrogen not exceed from 50- 80 kg/ ha. Nitrogen increases the flower head and increase the number of sterile seeds in the center of the head. Basic dose of 40-60 kg/ ha of P2O5 is also essential. Increasing level of phosphate increase the seed size but excess affect the seed composition adversely.

Recommended doses of fertilizers by PARC;

In Irrigated areas:

35-45 kg of N/ ha 30-35 kg of P2O5/ ha 15 kg of K2O/ha

In Rainfed areas:

30-40 kg of N/ ha 20-25 kg of P2O5/ ha 15 kg of K2O/ ha

All doses of P and K should be applied on the time of sowing. N should be applied at the time of planting, half during earthling up when the plants are about 30 cm tall.

Time of Planting:

Sunflower is highly adaptable and fit to the cropping system very well. It has two growing seasons. It is grown in spring and summer.

Locality Spring Summer

Irrigated areas Jan. 15 to Feb. 28 July 10 to Aug. 30

Rainfed areas Feb. 10 to March 15 July 1 to Aug. 10

KPK plains and March 1 to 30 July 1 to Aug. 15

Mountains tract

Seed Rate:

Seed rate varies from 3-8 kg / ha depending upon the size of the seed and spacing. On light sandy soil with the low rate of moisture the seed rate is increased proportionally. The recommended population in irrigated lands is 75,000 to 85,000 plants/ ha while on rainfed areas the plant population is 37,000 to 50,000 plants/ ha. The recommended spacing which facilitates the intercultural practices and in order to suppress the weeds. Plant to Plant distance should be 25-30 cm and Row to Row spacing is 70-75 cm.

Method of Planting:

Seed should be sown 3-8 cm deep using the cotton drill. Sowing can also be done by using the kera method by using desi plough.

Intercultural and Weeding:

Thinning is one of the operations which are used to maintain the desire population of plants. Weak and abnormal seedlings should be uprooted before the first irrigation. Seedlings at 1-4 weeks compete with weeds and their roots are easily damaged by using the mechanical cultivation and 65-70% reduces by this.

Control of weeds:

Hand tools such as kudal, bar harrow or tripali should be used to eradicate the weeds. In order to avoid the root system mechanical weeding should be discouraged. A number of pre-sowing weedicides are used some of these are brutalin, nitalin and profluralin.

Intercropping and rotation:

Sunflower is at all growing plant with large dropping leaves significantly shading the companion crop. Intercropping with the ground nut and the mung bean increased the monetary value of the crop by 20-30%. The crop rotation is as follows;

Cotton- Sunflower- Cotton Rice- Sunflower- Rice Sunflower- Wheat- Sunflower Sugarcane -Sunflower -Maize

In Rainfed areas rotations are as follows;

Sunflower- Wheat- Groundnut Sunflower- Wheat- Soybean

Irrigation:

Sunflower is generally considered as a drought resistant but the reduction in yield is occurring due to the water stress. The effects of water stress on seed characteristics are obvious in maturity. On the other hand the damage is occurred due to the flooding and the waterlogging. Spring season crop require the almost four irrigations. First at the 15 days after emergence, second at the completion of vegetation stage, third at the head formation and fourth at the seed filling. Summer season crop require three irrigations. First after the 15 days of emergence, second at the competition of vegetation stage, third at the seed filling.

Harvesting and Threshing:

Spring planted sunflower is usually matures in May-June, while that of summer planted sunflower is matures in the last week of November. It is usually harvested when the back of flower turns yellow and leaves become grayish white. Moisture content is 30-35% at this stage. The head are cut with the sickle from the standing crop and are spread in the open area to dry. To avoid the rooting of head and seeds, if the heads are collected in heaps the heaps should be small and they should not be staked for very long period. It is easy to remove the seed from the head by beating them even when they are still moist. The seeds are also separated from the heads by the use of threshers and the combine harvesters.

Storage:

Storage of sunflower is requiring the special care as it is the oil-containing seed. After threshing the seed should be keep in the dry place under the sun to keep the moisture at 8-10%. If the seeds are forced dried the viability of seed adversely affect. Storage bins should be cleaned and treated with the insecticides in order to avoid the insects attack. Seed with low oil content have an increased hyptomelan layer and are less susceptible to insect attack.

Cultivars:

Most sunflower cultivars are opening pollinated and depend upon the honey bees as pollinators. Select the hybrids and such cultivars which are self compatible to overcome the self pollination. The cultivars of sunflower are Noor, Shams, HO-1. The hybrids of sunflower are NK-212, NK-265, Hysun-33.The recommended hybrids of sunflower are Sunross-24, Sun bred- 265 and Euroflor.

Yield:

Average yield of sunflower on all types of soil is 500-980 kg/ha in irrigated areas. Average yield of sunflower in rainfed areas 400-800 kg/ ha. Under favorable conditions at optimum temperature at experiment stations seed yield is as big as 2500 kg/ ha.

Diseases and Pests:

The diseases and pests of sunflower are as follows;

Sclerotinia wilt and rot:

This disease is found throughout the world where sunflower is grown. The symptoms of this disease are appearing in different phases as root rot, stem rot and head rot. Water soaked lesions appear on the tap root and the fibrous roots. Small brown lesions appear at the base or any other part of the stem. The plant wilts and dries up.

Charcoal rot:

This disease is also found in various sunflower growing countries. The symptoms are not visible but sudden wilting of plant soon after the pollination is the most common symptoms. The diseased plant mature early and show the black, ashy discoloration on the stem of the plant.

Vetricillium wilt:

Infection progresses from the bottom to the top of the plant. Yellow patches appear on the center and at the edges’ of leaves. The patches enlarge and their center turns brown, giving the molted appearance on the affected leaves. The effected leaves may turn brown and wither.

Alternaria wilt:

The symptoms first appear in the form of dark brown to black, circular to oval shaped spot on the lower leaves. This disease spread gradually from the middle and the upper leaves. Later in the season patches are found on the petioles’, stem and ray-florets.

Insects:

Common insects infesting the sunflower are armyworms, cutworms, hairy caterpillars and budworms.

Birds:

Mature sunflower heads are attacked by birds. Parrots are one of the most serious pests. The crop is also attacked by the pigeons and sparrows. Attacks are severely in the morning and the evening.