My name is Rogozin Ivan. I have lived all my life in the city of Krasnodar. Despite my city life, I just love agriculture, so I connected my life with sunflower cultivation.
The fields of the Krasnodar Territory turned out to be very prolific. Within a few years, the business began to bear good fruit in the form of profit. Gradually, I increased the area under sowing and today I have about 30 hectares of land at my disposal.
The total yield is about 600 centners.
Net profit - from 300 thousand rubles.
The overall profitability is from 270%.
There is also an additional income - the sale of roasted sunflower seeds at a price of 70-90 rubles per kilogram. Income from this direction - from 100 thousand rubles.
Initial costs - from 60 thousand rubles.
Staff - 4 people.
As an introduction
Today, sunflower cultivation is one of the most profitable types of business. This explains the popularity of growing this crop not only in our country, but also in the world.
Even Peter I became a legislator of “fashions” for sunflower, from which butter, soap, margarine and halva were made. A separate conversation is seeds, without which it is difficult to imagine modern life.
What are the business benefits?
The advantage of sunflower is its unpretentiousness. It thrives in dry climates and under the scorching sun. Sunflower cultivation is very popular in Ukraine, Turkey, Russia and even Argentina.
If we take in Russia, then the ideal conditions for business in the Stavropol and Krasnodar Territories. The area of land occupied by sunflower is constantly increasing.
It is believed that in a few years about 8 million hectares of land will be occupied by this agricultural crop.
Sunflower is a plant that is resistant to drought and cold. As a result, it is perfectly adapted to our climate. The duration of cultivation is only 80-120 days (it all depends on the type of variety and the chosen technology).
Is business difficult?
The sunflower growing business is very profitable, and the sunflower growing technology is simple and accessible even to a beginner. That is why many farmers prefer to earn on the fruits of this crop. From one hectare of land, you can harvest up to 18-30 centners of the crop.
What should the land be like?
You must clearly understand the features of growing sunflower, as well as the importance of quality soil. In particular, the land must contain all the necessary mineral and organic fertilizers.
You can sow sunflower in the same place no earlier than after 7-8 years. Otherwise, even black soil is quickly depleted and becomes unsuitable for planting agricultural products. Therefore, sunflower plots should alternate.
It is necessary to prepare the soil for planting in the fall. The harrowing process is carried out from the beginning of spring, and after that, pre-sowing cultivation begins.
To protect plants from the negative effects of harrowing, it is worth trimming the surface of the field before planting sunflowers. Sowing can be started when the air temperature reaches 11-13 degrees Celsius.
Sunflower cultivation in Russia will be effective at a planting depth of about 8-10 centimeters. For cultivation, it is better to select clay-type soil, and the site itself should be open to the sun.
Sunflower grows best in areas where winter rye was grown before.
How to care?
Sunflower does not require any special care. All he needs is timely weeding, loosening and water.
If the period is too dry, then it is necessary to water the sunflower at least three times - 20-22 days before flowering, the second time - at the beginning of flowering, and the third time - 10-12 days after the completion of the flowering process.
What sunflower to plant?
The highest quality are hybrid sunflowers. Their advantage is the same size and equal ripening time. In this case, the growing season lasts about 100-110 days.
The nominal amount of seeds to be sown per hectare is about 60,000.
But check the seeds to make sure they are of high quality.
It is easy to determine this - one thousand seeds should have a mass of about 50-60 grams.
In your country house, you can plant a sunflower bear cub for decoration, the cultivation of which does not cause difficulties even for amateur gardeners.
By the way, today decorative sunflower is very fashionable and its cultivation, by the way, is gaining momentum among start-up entrepreneurs.
Another good variety ESAUL. It is characterized by good yield and short stature. At the same time, ripening can be expected within 65-70 days after sowing.
You can use later varieties. It takes about 8 kilograms of seeds and 8-10 hours of time to sow a hectare. The cost of a kilogram of seeds is 80-120 rubles.
How to sow?
Pay special attention to the density of sowing. Here everything will depend on the variety of sunflower and the climate of the region where it is grown. It is believed that in the semi-arid steppes it is best to sow about 40-45 thousand plants per hectare, and in the steppe region their number can be increased to 60 thousand.
So, if you decide to plant sunflower, be sure to study the growing areas in Russia. Sowing is not desirable to stretch over time - it is better to do the work within 1-2 days.
Remember that sunflowers are grown from seeds, so the recommended planting depth must be strictly maintained (about 20 cm).
What is needed from personnel and equipment?
To perform all the work, it is necessary to involve several people (at least 2-3). In addition, just before harvesting, one or two watchmen may be needed.
The salary of a sower and a picker is from 20,000 rubles, and a watchman - from 15,000 rubles.
From the equipment you will need a seeder, a tractor and a truck in which fertilizers and seeds can be transported. You do not need to buy equipment - you can rent it. On average, one hour will cost from 2,000 rubles per hour.
What about fertilizers?
For a full "feed" sunflower should receive about 5 kg of nitrogen per centner. It is worth making an accurate calculation of the required amount of fertilizer. In case of exceeding or lowering the norm, you can completely be left without a crop.
During the period of sunflower growth, it is desirable to pay attention to weed harvesting. If there is a need to use herbicides, then it is enough to make a one-time treatment (but only when the plant height reaches 40 cm).
This will provide the best dropout rate and minimal damage when harvesting.
It should be borne in mind that sunflower can hurt. The most common disease is verticillosis. The probability of its infection is about 40-50%. To avoid damage, seeds must be treated with fungicides.
To increase the yield of sunflower, it is desirable to grow it on irrigation. It will not be superfluous to provide for watering (in this case, additional treatment with herbicides will be required).
The cost of purchasing various formulations and processing - from 2,000 rubles.
Sunflower production
When to harvest?
In order not to make a mistake with the timing, you should have a technological map of sunflower cultivation at hand. As a rule, it is necessary to harvest when 10-13% of plants with yellow heads remain on the field. The rest should be dry and brown in color.
It is desirable to collect sunflower as soon as possible - within 5-7 days. Certain losses should not be ruled out. As practice shows, they can be from 3 to 5% of the total crop.
It is quite possible to achieve a reduction in crop loss if sowing and harvesting is carried out in a timely manner. In this case, it is desirable to collect at a humidity of not more than 20%.
No more than 3% of the sunflower should remain behind the harvester. Every 2-3 hours it is necessary to stop and check the quality of the cleaning process. The task of the combine is separation, threshing, accumulation and cleaning of grain.
Potential of consumers of sunflower oil production in Russia
What is the profitability of the business?
As for the main factor for an entrepreneur - profitability, it will be the higher, the more the territory is sown. From one hectare of land, you can get up to 10 thousand rubles on average.
Thus, the sunflower growing business is a very attractive direction. If measured as a percentage, then in some regions of Russia profitability can reach 200-300%.
Growth of participants in the oil production market according to the data of the 1st quarter of 2014
in relation to the 1st quarter of 2013
Summing up:
The total costs for harvesting and seed processing - from 2000 rubles per hectare.
Starting investments - from 60 thousand rubles.
Net profit per hectare - from 10 thousand rubles.
Fertilizers, processing (costs) - from 2000 rubles.
Staff salaries - from 35 thousand rubles.
Business profitability - 200-300%.
The payback period is one year.
Thus, sunflower cultivation is one of the safest, most profitable and interesting types of business. At the same time, do not forget that it requires certain knowledge and a responsible approach to business from you.
The choice of crop for cultivation is largely determined by the natural area, since each crop needs different conditions to obtain a high yield. If we talk about the cultivation of sunflower, then in Ukraine the optimal regions are: Dnepropetrovsk, Kirovograd and the northern parts of Odessa, Mykolaiv and Kherson regions. Optimal soil moisture, along with sufficient heat and sun, allow the crop to maximize its yield potential and, in general, reduce the additional costs for farmers to obtain 1 centner of crop.
According to the data collected from farmers, MacAgro agronomists calculated the average profitability of growing sunflower seeds for delivery to the elevator. To average the results obtained, we took the figures for the expenses and incomes of three farms for 2016 and 2018:
- Mykolaiv region, area - 20 ha, seeds of Serbian selection NS SEME;
- Mykolaiv region, area - 120 hectares, seeds of Ukrainian selection of the Institute of Plant Industry. V.Ya. Yuryeva NAAS;
- Dnipropetrovsk region, area - 70 hectares, seeds of the French selection Euralis Semans.
All three farms grew sunflower hybrids according to the classical technology and used soil herbicides and microfertilizers according to the same application scheme. In 2018, a farm from the Dnipropetrovsk region did not use microfertilizers, so we used a minimum multiplication factor of 0.1 for their data for this year. In order to show the minimum profit from sunflower cultivation for small farms, we will calculate the profitability of growing a crop on an area of 20 hectares.
Costs for seeds, plant protection products, works and equipment
In order to reduce the cost as much as possible, we chose sunflower seeds for traditional technology from the low price segment, but with good sowing qualities and positive feedback from farmers, and inexpensive herbicides and microfertilizers were also included in the technology based on double application in phases 2-3 and 5- 6 pairs of leaves. It should be noted that the purchase prices for elevators have risen by an average of 10% over two years, while the cost of equipment - by 30-40%, and the cost of diesel fuel - by 65%. In view of this, the profitability of sunflower cultivation has significantly decreased compared to 2016.
So what do we have:
- Renting a field with an area of 20 hectares - 3,000 UAH/year for 1 ha, total - 60,000 UAH;
- Sunflower seeds Forward (French Standard, Ukrainian selection), 10 p.u. - 6900 UAH;
- Mineral fertilizer nitroammofosk, 4 tons - 36000 UAH.
- Soil herbicide Promex (prometrin), 60 l (3 l/ha) - 13794 UAH;
- Newport post-emergence herbicide (chizalofop-p-ethyl), 20 l (1 l/ha) - UAH 7454;
- Microfertilizer Quantum SRKZ, 1 l - 293 UAH;
- Microfertilizer Quantum Technical, 80 l - 9680 UAH.
The prices given in the list are current at the time of writing the article on 04.02.3019, the cost of delivery is taken into account.
Planting, processing, harvesting and transport costs
Equipment rental in each region is different and depends on many, often human factors, we will take the average high cost of processing based on Ukrainian realities and our own experience. This calculation is not applicable if own agricultural machinery is used.
- Pre-sowing treatment and sowing. The total cost of work will be 950 UAH/ha based on: plowing and cultivation - 700 UAH/ha, sowing - 250 UAH/ha (19,000 UAH).
- Weed control. Two treatments (pre-sowing with Promex and for vegetative weeds with Newport) will cost 500 UAH/ha (10,000 UAH).
- Introduction of microfertilizers. Two applications of chelated complex microfertilizer will cost 500 UAH/ha (10,000 UAH).
- Sunflower cleaning. Here the figures are very different, but we will take the average - 700 UAH/ha (14,000 UAH).
- The cost of diesel fuel for eight treatments of 20 hectares of crops with a tractor T-40 X 15 l / ha (28 UAH / l) - 67200 UAH.
- Transportation of sunflower seeds to the elevator at the rate of 100 km and the price of 7 UAH / km per ton (52 tons of seeds) - 36400 UAH.
We did not include seed dressing with microfertilizer in the list of expenses, since 100 kg of seed can be processed independently. The cost of applying nitroammophoska is included in the cost of sowing, since it is carried out simultaneously.
Let's summarize the costs. In total, we spent 290721 UAH:
- purchase of seeds and plant protection products - UAH 134,121;
- expenses for equipment and transport - 156600 UAH.
We consider the profit from growing sunflower
The average yield of sunflower hybrids in regions favorable for cultivation is 26-28 q/ha. A simple miscalculation with an average purchase price for sunflower seeds at elevators of 10,900 UAH (02/04/2019) shows that the business brought us at least 566,800 UAH. Subtracting the costs of 290721 UAH, we get a net profit equal to 276079 UAH
The above figures of expenses can be an order of magnitude lower, given that the cost of diesel fuel was taken from the prices at specialized gas stations, and the prices for tillage, sowing and harvesting are the maximum of the "adequate" options. At the same time, the Forward hybrid in 2016 showed a yield in the Nikolaev region at the level of 32 c/ha with a seed moisture content of 12%, and in 2018 - 36 c/ha with the same harvest moisture. If we take the average results of 34 c/ha, then the income will be UAH 741,200, the net profit of which is - 450479 UAH
How to increase the profitability of sunflower cultivation
According to the subjective opinion, as well as the data collected on our fields and the fields of our customers, the most important factor is the presence of moisture in the soil during the sowing period and up to the phase of 5-6 pairs of leaves, which directly affects the laying of seeds and its completion. With proper application, top dressing with chelated micronutrient fertilizers in 90% of cases gives an increase in yield of 12-18%, while the cost of applying per hectare is, on average, 400 UAH, taking into account the technique and cost of preparations.
According to experienced farmers, sunflower yield depends on many factors. First of all, these are the climatic conditions of a particular growing region and crop variety. Also, the yield of sunflower per 1 ha is affected by the technology of tillage and seeds, fertilization, weed and pest control.
To obtain good yields, every effort must be made to destroy weeds. Cereal crops are considered the best predecessors of sunflower. After grain is harvested, the field is stubbled to help remove weeds and encourage the incorporation of organic debris into the ground. To increase the yield of sunflower, organic fertilizers are spread. In autumn, manure is crushed across the field. With the advent of spring, this useful substance is plowed and the soil is leveled. The ideal option for obtaining high yields of sunflower is the introduction of manure under the previous crop.
With the advent of spring, 1-2 months before sowing, the seed material is treated with disinfectants and microfertilizers, which will increase the percentage of seed germination of the crop and protect the plant from many diseases and pests. Mineral fertilizers are applied at the time of sowing. This will allow the granules to dissolve. After sowing the grain, the surface of the field is rolled with rollers.
Actively germinating weeds will contribute to a decrease in sunflower yield from 1 hectare. To combat them, soil herbicides are used, which are applied to the soil 1-2 days after sowing. The chemicals will slow the growth of weeds until the main crop has developed. The second option for dealing with unwanted plants is pre-emergence harrowing and row spacing.
The average sunflower yield for our country in terms of a hectare of field in recent years has amounted to 12-15 centners per hectare. A better result can be achieved if the crop was properly cared for or new promising varieties and hybrids were used. From the information provided by the breeders:
- the maximum yield of Yason sunflower is 4.4 tons per hectare;
- variety Lux - 3-3.4 t/ha;
- variety Oreshek - 3-3.2 t/ha;
- Serbian hybrid President - up to 5.5 t/ha.
- American sunflower hybrid Pioneer - about 4.5 tons per 1 ha of usable area.
The article examined the yield of the most promising varieties, our zoned crops are distinguished by a much lower grain yield. For example, Lakomka sunflower yields no more than 2.4 tons of grain per hectare. The low yield of the described crop in our country is due to adverse weather conditions.
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Place in crop rotation
Sunflower is placed in the tilled field of crop rotation after winter or spring cereals on fields clean of malicious weeds - after barley, spring wheat, etc. it after rapeseed, peas, soybeans, beans, since these crops have a number of common diseases with it (sclerotinia, white, gray rot, etc.). Sunflower in crop rotation should be returned to its former field no earlier than after 7-8 years to prevent the accumulation of broomrape seeds and infectious diseases in the soil.
tillage
The main requirement for the main tillage is the complete suppression of perennial weeds, good leveling of the field surface, and moisture conservation. On fields littered with annual weeds, semi-fallow plowing is used.
In fields littered with perennial weeds (thistle, thistle, lettuce, bindweed, etc.), layer-by-layer (improved) tillage is used. First, the stubble is peeled to a depth of 6-8 cm with disc tools (LDG-10, LDG-15, BD-10), after the growth of perennial weeds, the soil is cultivated to a depth of 10-12 cm with PPL-10-25 plows-cultivators or KPSh-5 flat cutters , KPSh-9. After the re-growth of weeds, the plowing is plowed in September-October to a depth of 25-27 cm.
To increase the moisture reserves in the soil, snow retention is carried out in the fields.
Pre-sowing tillage
At the onset of the physical ripeness of the soil, harrowing and leveling of the plowing with drag-levelers at an angle of 45-50 ° to the direction of plowing and early cultivation to a depth of 8-10 cm in an aggregate with harrows are carried out.
On a high-quality ploughland (the soil is loose and leveled, without root weeds), it is usually limited to one pre-sowing cultivation during the period of mass emergence of seedlings and weed shoots.
Pre-sowing cultivation is carried out to a depth of sunflower seed sowing of 6-8 cm, using a KPS-4, KPSh-12 or USMK-5.4 cultivator in an aggregate with harrows and trains. When cultivating sunflower hybrids, in which seeds are smaller than those of varieties, cultivation before sowing is carried out to a depth of 5-6 cm.
Fertilizer system
. Sunflower increases yields when both organic and mineral fertilizers are applied. According to VNIIMK, the application of 20-40 t/ha of manure provided an increase in sunflower yield by 2-5 q/ha, and mineral fertilizers (N45P60K45) increased the yield by 3.4 q/ha.
Especially important is the use of manure for sunflower in those areas where it is the main technical plant of the crop rotation. A positive effect is exerted by manure introduced under the previous crop.
In the steppe and forest-steppe zones on chernozem soils, mineral fertilizers are applied at the rate of N40P60.
In the experiments set up in the Central Chernozem Region, when applying mineral fertilizers (45-60 kg/ha of a. w.) on leached chernozems, an increase in sunflower yield (c/ha) was obtained: from phosphorus 2.3, from nitrogen with phosphorus 3.1, from nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium 3.1. Potash fertilizers on chernozem soils do not increase the yield of sunflower, since these soils are sufficiently supplied with potassium. It is used on sandy, podzolized, dark gray forest soils, poor in potassium, at the rate of K40-60. Doses of mineral fertilizers for a particular field are specified based on the planned harvest and agrochemical cartogram data.
Fertilizers are applied in autumn under plowing of fallow land or in spring by local-tape method simultaneously with sunflower sowing. Fertilizers, especially phosphate fertilizers, should not be applied in the spring under pre-sowing cultivation, as this does not give the desired effect. With the local-tape method, fertilizers are applied with sowing seeds using fertilizer seeding machines at a distance of 6-10 cm from the row to a depth of 10-12 cm. ). If necessary, liquid complex fertilizers (LCF) - N20P30 are used for top dressing.
It should be borne in mind that an excess of fertilizers, especially nitrogen fertilizers, makes plants less resistant to drought and diseases, and leads to a decrease in the oil content of seeds. When applying fertilizers for sunflower, various forms of fertilizers can be used: simple and complex, dry and liquid. At the same time, it is important to strictly observe not only the recommended doses, but also the correct ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus in fertilizers - 1: 1.5.
Sowing
For sowing, seeds of varieties (first reproduction) and hybrids (first generation) included in the register are used, sorted (calibrated), large with a weight of 1000 seeds of 80-100 g for varieties and at least 50 g for hybrids, with a germination capacity of at least 95 % (first class).
Modern high-oil varieties and hybrids with thin-skinned seeds have higher heat requirements. They should be sown in well-warmed soil when the temperature at the seed sowing depth (8-10 cm) reaches 10-12°C. In this case, the seeds germinate quickly and amicably, their field germination increases, which ensures a more uniform development and maturation of plants and an increase in yield. With early sowing of such varieties, seeds do not germinate for a long time, partially lose their germination capacity, which leads to thinning of crops. Sowing sunflower in one field should be completed in 1-2 days.
The planting density, depending on moisture availability, by the beginning of harvesting should be: in moist forest-steppe regions and adjacent steppe regions - 40-50 thousand, in semi-arid steppe - 30-40 thousand plants per 1 ha. When cultivating sunflower hybrids, their density is recommended to be increased by 10-15%, but not higher than up to 55-60 thousand/ha.
Amendments to the seeding rates are set taking into account the field germination of seeds (it is 10-15% lower than the laboratory one), the death of plants during harrowing of crops by seedlings (8-10%) and the natural waste of plants (up to 5%). When using highly effective herbicides, when there is no need for seedling harrowing, the seeding rate is increased by 20-25% in relation to the optimal plant density. If herbicides are not used, and weeds are destroyed mechanically, including by harrowing, then the seeding rate is increased by 30-35%.
So, the sowing rate of sunflower seeds depends on the size of the seeds and the planned plant density and is 6-10 kg/ha.
Sunflower sowing is carried out in a dotted way with a row spacing of 70 cm using pneumatic seeders SUPN-8, SKPP-12 and SPG-6 MF with harrows and trains.
The normal sowing depth of seeds of varieties is 6-8 cm, in arid conditions 8-10 cm, on heavy soils in a cool and humid spring, seeds are sown to a depth of 5-6 cm. Seeds of small-seeded hybrids are sown to a depth of 4-5 cm in moist soil.
Crop care
The modern technology of sunflower cultivation completely excludes manual weeding of crops. Crop care is carried out mainly mechanized (herbicide-free option) and, if necessary, in combination with the use of herbicides, which are applied mainly by the tape method simultaneously with sowing.
Following sowing, loose soil is rolled in with ring-spur rollers in dry weather. Rolling creates conditions for the friendly germination of sunflower seeds, increasing the contact of seeds with the soil and the influx of moisture from its lower layers. Improves the quality of subsequent tillage.
Pre-emergence and post-emergence harrowing, combined with inter-row cultivation with cultivators equipped with weeding and spreading devices, can destroy weeds, which will allow growing high yields of sunflower without the use of herbicides.
Pre-emergence harrowing is carried out during the period of mass germination of weed seeds with medium tooth harrows BZSS-1.0 with trains using a caterpillar tractor. Harrowing is carried out across the rows or diagonally across the field 5-6 days after sowing. Harrowing by seedlings is also carried out with medium tooth harrows when 2-3 pairs of true leaves are formed in sunflower during the daytime, when plant turgor decreases. According to VNIIMK, post-emergence harrowing destroyed up to 80-90% of annual weeds.
When using soil herbicides, seedling harrowing is not used, but with herbicide-free technology it is mandatory.
Inter-row crops are treated with cultivators to kill weeds and loosen the soil, improve the water-air and food regimes, and prevent excessive cracking of the soil in the summer. Cultivators KRN-5.6 A, KRN-4.2 A are used, equipped with flat-cutting lancet and razor paws, wire harrows KLT-38, powdering devices KLT-360 and KLT-350.
At the first inter-row cultivation, the width of the slot is set to 50 cm, at the second (third) - 45 cm, the working depth is 6-8 and 8-10 cm, respectively. in a row.
For sunflower, it is important to destroy weeds both in the first period, when seedlings are formed, and in the second period of its vegetation, when generative organs are laid. The use of soil herbicides in the pre-sowing or pre-emergence periods, in combination with agricultural practices, can solve this problem.
Herbicides on sunflower are used by spraying the soil before sowing for cultivation, during sowing and before germination - for harrowing and after germination.
It is economical to apply herbicides in a belt way at the same time as sowing. In this case, a strip is processed along a row 30-35 cm wide, and the hectare dose of the herbicide is halved. Herbicides are applied by boom sprayers OPSh-15, OP-200-2-01, POU, POM-630, which are carefully adjusted to a given consumption rate and uniformity of spraying of the working fluid by each sprayer individually and the entire boom.
The use of elements of the Astrakhan technology with the introduction of herbicides in the rows by the belt method using slotted guides and wire rotors improves the technology of sunflower cultivation.
For cutting guide slots simultaneously with sowing, two slot guides are attached to the additional frame of the seeder, following the track of the caterpillar tractor. The depth of the slot is 25-30 cm. During inter-row cultivation, guide knives mounted on the cultivator frame go along these slots, which keeps it from moving to the sides and, therefore, reduces damage to plants. However, the described technique also has disadvantages: additional energy is required, sunflower roots are damaged, and moisture loss increases.
In the fight against hollow grains in sunflower, good results are provided by additional pollination of crops with the help of bees (at the rate of 1.5-2.0 hives per 1 ha of crops).
Protection against diseases and pests
Sunflower is susceptible to damage by many types of diseases and is damaged by pests, so it is necessary to provide for an integrated plant protection system, taking into account the phytosanitary situation.
Sunflower is affected by the following diseases: white, gray, ashy rot, downy mildew, rust, phomosis, etc. White rot manifests itself throughout the growing season, but most intensively during the ripening of the baskets. Gray rot affects seedlings, stems, flowers, and especially often baskets. Ash rot causes general wilting and drying of the whole plant, brittleness of the stem. Downy mildew infects leaves, stems, baskets. The disease manifests itself when 3-4 pairs of leaves are formed, the plants lag behind in growth, the yield decreases.
Pests cause great harm to sunflowers: wireworm, honey-lyaki, steppe cricket, meadow moth, aphids, plant bugs.
Measures to protect sunflower from diseases and pests include seed treatment and treatment of plants with chemicals.
Cleaned and sorted sunflower seeds 1.5-2 months (but not later than 2 weeks) before sowing are treated with disinfectants: against gray rot, sclerotinia, TMTD 80% s. p. - 3 kg / t, against white and gray rot - rovral, 50% w.p. - 4 kg/t or ronilan, 50% w.p. -o 3 kg/t, against white rot - aprocite, 50% w.p., or benlat, 50% w.p. - 3 kg / t, against downy mildew - apron 35, 38.9% s. p. - 6 kg / t in a mixture with trace elements (zinc sulfate and manganese sulfate - 0.3-0.5 kg / t). When treating seeds, it is advisable to apply pesticides together with film-forming substances - sodium salt of carboxymethyl cellulose NaKMC, (0.2 kg / t) or polyvinyl alcohol - PVA (0.5 kg / t). For dressing and incrustation of seeds, machines KPS-10 A, PS-10, Mobitoks are used.
For sunflower seedlings, to combat beet weevil and steppe cricket, crops are sprayed with vofatox, 18% s. n. - 0.4-1.0 kg / ha. In the fight against the steppe cricket, it is enough to carry out processing along the edges of the field.
With the mass appearance of aphids, plants are treated with vofatox or karbofos (0.6-0.8 l / ha) before flowering.
General sunflower protection measures include the following: compliance with crop rotation, meeting the requirements of seed production, dressing seeds, growing 2-3 varieties or hybrids on the farm that differ in the length of the growing season and resistance to broomrape.
Cleaning
The signs by which sunflower ripening is judged include: yellowing of the back side of the basket, wilting and falling off of reed flowers, color of achenes normal for the variety and hybrid, hardening of the core in them, drying of most leaves.
According to the moisture content of the seeds and the color of the baskets, three degrees of ripeness are distinguished: yellow, brown and full. With yellow ripeness, the leaves and the back side of the basket acquire a lemon-yellow color, the moisture content of the seeds is 30-40% (biological ripeness); at brown ripeness - dark brown baskets, seed moisture 12-14% (economic ripeness); at shelf ripeness, seed moisture is 10-12%, plants are dry, brittle, achenes crumble.
Harvesting of sunflower with combines should be started when 85-90% of the heads are browned (seed moisture content is 12-14%). A delay in harvesting for 5-6 days leads to significant losses of seeds. The threshed seeds must be cleaned and dried. Cleaned seeds with a moisture content of not more than 8% are laid for storage. Wet seeds quickly warm up, rancid and lose their germination.
For sunflower harvesting, the SK-5 "Niva" combine with the PSP-1.5 or "Don 1500" device, equipped with the PSP-10 device, is used. The harvester cuts the baskets and threshes them, while the seeds fall into the bunker, and the threshed baskets are loaded into vehicles (for feed). The stems remaining on the root are crushed with LDG-10 disc cultivators. For chopping and spreading the stems during harvesting, a universal straw chopper PUN-5 is used.
For forest-steppe regions, VNIIMK recommends pre-harvest sunflower desiccation. Crops should be sprayed with a solution of magnesium chlorate (20 kg/ha) or reglon (2-3 l/ha) or a mixture of magnesium chlorate with reglon (10 kg/ha + 1 l/ha) per 100 l of water per 1 ha in 40-45 days after mass flowering (10-20% browned heads, 20-30% yellow-brown, 50-60% yellow) at an average seed sample moisture content of 30-35%. Desiccation allows you to start harvesting 8-10 days earlier and reduce the harmfulness of white and gray rot. Humidity of achenes after desiccation is reduced to 12-16%. Combine productivity increases 1.5 times, seed losses decrease.
When used correctly, the residues of desiccants in the seeds and oil are not contained or their amount corresponds to the maximum permissible concentrations.
Among the factors affecting the yield of sunflower, plant density per unit area is important. It is said that it should be optimal in specific conditions, since excessive thickening and thinning of the crop leads to a decrease in yield.
On ordinary chernozems, the influence of plant density of hybrids of different morphotypes with two sowing methods on the yield and quality of seeds was studied (Table 1).
It has been established that on narrowed row spacings, an increase in the yield of the Svitoch hybrid up to 2.64 t/ha occurred when the sowing was thickened from 40 to 50 thousand plants/ha, in other hybrids the highest yields (2.81–2.92 t/ha) were obtained at a density of 60 thousand plants/ha.
Table 1
Yield and quality of sunflower seeds depending on the density with different sowing methods
| Row spacing, cm | Seeding density, thousand/ha | hybrids | |||||
| Svitoch | Kharkov 58 | Odessa 123 | |||||
| t/ha | % fat | t/ha | % fat | t/ha | % fat | ||
| 15–30 | 40 | 2,37 | 45,4 | 2,53 | 48,8 | 2,50 | 49,0 |
| 50 | 2,64 | 46,4 | 2,67 | 49,6 | 2,71 | 50,5 | |
| 60 | 2,50 | – | 2,92 | – | 2,81 | – | |
| 70 | 2,54 | 47,9 | 2,86 | 51,1 | 2,63 | 52,3 | |
| 70 | 40 | 2,31 | 45,1 | 2,57 | 48,2 | 2,48 | 49,0 |
| 50 | 2,47 | 46,3 | 2,63 | 49,4 | 2,52 | 50,6 | |
| 60 | 2,35 | – | 2,56 | – | 2,41 | – | |
| 70 | 2,25 | 47,1 | 2,44 | 50,1 | 2,29 | 52,2 | |
| NSR 05 for: terms (A) 0.17–0.22 t/ha; hybrids (B) - 0.21–0.28; density (B) - 0.25–0.33; interactions (A×B×C) – 0.98–1.28 t/ha | |||||||
On wide-row sowing (70 cm), a high yield was formed in all hybrids at 50 thousand plants/ha. Further thickening of the sowing led to a decrease in the collection of seeds from 1 ha for all hybrids by 0.19–0.23 t/ha. Moreover, its absolute indicators were lower than when sowing in the usual ordinary way by 0.29–0.42 t/ha, and at a density of 40 thousand/ha they turned out to be the same. This indicates that with narrowed row spacings, due to the uniform placement of plants on the area, reduced competition and more complete use of environmental factors, it is possible to thicken crops more than when sowing with row spacings of 70 cm, and get higher yields.
In terms of the effect on the quality of seeds of hybrids, ordinary row sowing did not have an advantage over wide-row sowing. With an increase in sunflower density from 40 to 70 thousand plants/ha, the fat content in seeds increased from 45.1–49.0% to 47.1–52.3%.
It is important to observe the plant density for specific fields. If 1 m soil layer contains less than 120 mm of productive moisture, plant density should be 30 thousand/ha for varieties and 40 thousand/ha for hybrids, at 120–150 mm, respectively - 40 and 50 thousand/ha, more 150 mm - 40–45 and 50–60 thousand/ha.
A strong thickening of the sowing contributes to an increase in the damage to plants by stem and root forms of rot, their lodging and a decrease in yield.
According to some scientists, plant density should be set according to the depth of soil moisture in spring. If it is 200 cm and productive moisture in a meter layer is about 200 mm, then the density of sunflower plants should be 50–60 thousand/ha and a high yield should be expected.
It is possible to calculate the optimal standing density of sunflower plants using the formula proposed by A.B. Dyakov:
Where G– sunflower sowing density, thousand plants/ha;
BUT– spring reserves of productive moisture in a meter layer of soil, mm;
AT- the average long-term precipitation during the growing season (from germination to physiological ripeness), mm;
D- the average long-term sum of average ten-day air humidity deficits during the growing season, mm;
P– depth of soil wetting before sowing, cm;
0.1 and 0.122 are correction factors (constant).
As a rule, the desired plant density is formed during sowing. To do this, certain amendments should be made to the seeding rate (optimal plant density), which are established taking into account the field germination of seeds (15–20% lower than the laboratory one), plant death during harrowing of crops by seedlings (8–12%) and their natural waste (5–6%). When grown on a herbicide background, when there is no need to harrow the seedlings, the seeding rate is increased by 25-30%, and without herbicides - by 40-50%.
Taking into account these amendments, the seeders are adjusted to the seeding rate. To do this, determine the number of seeds in the insurance allowance, multiplying the accepted plant density by the correction in% and the resulting product, divided by 100, is added to the indicator of optimal density. We get the number of seeds per 1 ha that needs to be sown in order to obtain the optimal plant density. According to the table attached to the seeder, we find on the guitar a selection of gears and seed discs that provide the specified density.
Simultaneously with the adjustment of the seeder to the sowing rate, it is adjusted to the depth of sowing seeds and their distribution in the row.
It was established that the sowing of seeds of the hybrid Eney of different fractions to a depth of 4–5 cm led to a decrease in the field germination of large seeds (weight of 1000 pieces 92.2 g) by 23.0%, and small ones (21.7 g) - by 26. 0% (Table 2). When planting them to a depth of 8–9 cm, field germination decreased by 17.7 and 33.0%, respectively, which indicates a large resource of large seeds, compared with small ones, for more complete germination from deep soil layers.
table 2
Influence of planting depth of seeds of different fractions on the germination and yield of sunflower
| Seeding depth, cm | Weight of 1000 seeds, g | Germination, % | Productivity, t/ha | |
| laboratory | field | |||
| 4–5 | 92,2 | 90.3 | 67,3 | 2,65 |
| 53,3 | 89,0 | 66,3 | 2,60 | |
| 33,3 | 91,3 | 75,7 | 2,62 | |
| 28,6 | 90,7 | 73,3 | 2,55 | |
| 21,7 | 89,3 | 63,3 | 2,50 | |
| 8–9 | 92,2 | 90,3 | 72,7 | 2,82 |
| 53,3 | 89,0 | 74,3 | 2,68 | |
| 33,3 | 91,3 | 78,3 | 2,63 | |
| 28,6 | 90,7 | 67,3 | 2,64 | |
| 21,7 | 89,3 | 56,3 | 2,45 | |
| NSR 05 | – | – | – | 0,12 |
Sowing depth had little effect on sunflower yield. Thus, the average sowing depth for fractions when sowing at 4–5 cm was 2.58 t/ha, and 8–9 cm - 2.64 t/ha. At the same time, even sowing with small seeds (21.7–26.5 g per 1000 pcs.) by 8–9 cm compared to 4–5 cm led to a slight decrease in yield - by 0.05–0.12 t/ha, and fractions with a seed weight of 28.0–92.2 g provided almost the same high yield at both sowing depths.
Thus, the depth of seed placement should be set depending on weather conditions, the moisture content of the top seed layer of the soil and the size of the seeds. If at the beginning of the optimal time there is enough moisture in the soil, it is necessary to sow 5–7 cm, but when the top layer dries up and the moisture is deeper, you need to plant the seeds up to 9–10 cm in the wet layer and roll the sowing to pull moisture to the seeds and increase contact them with the soil. On heavy soils, the sowing depth is 4–5 cm, and on light soils, up to 8–10 cm in moist soil.
When using technologies based on row spacing narrowed to 15–30 cm, the density of sunflower plants should be increased by 10–15 thousand/ha compared to the density for wide-row standard crops.
For sowing, use specific-heavy, made seeds, treated with disinfectants, weighing 1000 pcs. – 40–90
Harvesting starts from the beginning of August and ends at the end of November, depending on which variety you have planted in your area. Some farmers prefer to collect seeds after the first frost, as then they have optimal moisture and good keeping quality. The main thing here is to constantly monitor that mold does not form, which gives the seeds an unpleasant odor, as well as acidity, which increases significantly with frequent rains. Sunflower harvesting terms cannot be determined with an accuracy of a day, since it can be harvested half-baked at a moisture content of 13-14% and successfully stored in a warehouse with a grain blower. You can wait another month or two, until the moisture exceeds 4-5%, and the seed will practically peel off by itself - a great option for making gozinaki.
Some varieties have very small grains and caps, so they dry already in early August, especially if they are medium early varieties with a growing season of 90 days (or 70 days - ultra early). If the hat is large, then it ripens 2-3 weeks longer. Medium-late and late varieties with a large head can reach technical maturity only in November (vegetation period 120-150 days). In the northern regions of Russia, desiccation is often used - the artificial ripening of seeds. They are sprayed with a special preparation (for example, Hurricane or Navigator), which dries the stem and caps, and significantly reduces the time to harvest. It can only be used when the seeds are fully mature and cannot dry out. The use of preparations in the stage of wax ripeness of the plant can lead to a complete loss of the crop.
In order to mow the crop on the field, a special device for harvesting sunflower is used - a harvester with lifters. This is, in fact, an ordinary grain harvester, on which special guides cling, which capture the sunflower stalk and direct it to the knives. There, the stem is cut and transported to the harvester body. Such devices are installed both on imported combines and on domestic ones, and their variety is quite large. If it is not possible to hire specialized equipment for harvesting in a country house or garden, special manual devices are used to collect seeds. Their principle is based on hitting the hat and knocking out the seeds from it, which, at the stage of technical ripeness, are very easily separated. Consider the most popular options for "manual harvesters" among the people.
- Stool leg. This, at first glance, very inconspicuous tool is the most effective for those who grow only a few dozen plants in the garden. There are no costs for such a "harvester" at all and all the necessary parts can be found at home in the firewood shed. The leg from a small stool has the right weight and shape for hitting the plant's head. There are 2 main methods of harvesting this item. The first method is as follows: a bag or bag is pulled over a sunflower hat so that the seeds do not fall to the floor, and light but sharp blows must be applied from above. Thus, in 10-15 strokes, all the grains will be in your bag. The second method is as follows: you need to cut off all the hats with a knife and collect them in a pile, then sit and knock out the seeds. Suitable for those who cannot stand for a long time or simply want to harvest comfortably and easily.
- "Spit". Suitable for summer residents and gardeners who grow sunflower on a large scale, that is, for oil and for profit. "Spit" is suitable for 10-20 acres of seeds and can cope with the entire crop in 1 day. This facility requires a metal barrel of 200 liters and a welding machine. Inside the barrel, you need to weld a few "steps" on which heads will hit when the device is scrolled. A hatch is made on either side of the barrel in order to pour out the seeds. The heads are put into a barrel, after which it scrolls and knocks out the grain with steps. Very efficient design for dry harvesting up to 6% relative humidity. Wet grain is very difficult to knock out. Some gardeners kindle a fire under the barrel or put a heating element. Thus, you can immediately get fried grain (or dried, depending on the time spent there).
- Sunflower harvesting with polyethylene. Some farmers prefer to harvest grain the old fashioned way. With the help of a long bush of oilcloth and a stick. This method is very similar to the first, but in this case 15-20 plants are involved at once. A strip of durable polyethylene is placed on the left and right along the row, after which the worker passes along it and knocks out several dozen hats. Then the design is shifted further along the row and everything repeats. The grain that falls on the polyethylene is easily collected in a heap and poured into a container.
- Cleaning seeds in a bag. The heads of the plant are cut off and placed in one large plastic bag. It is desirable to harvest at a moisture content of 7-8%. After the bag is filled to the top with raw materials, you need to take a weighty object (you can use a shovel holder) and carefully fill the bag with it from all sides. Continue knocking out for at least 5 minutes. After that, you untie the bag, take out and throw away the empty sunflower hats, and the grain that will be at the bottom must be blown under the fan from the dry remains of the plant's basket.
These were the most popular ways to get grain in country conditions, where sunflower harvesting cannot be done using conventional mechanized equipment. The methods are quite effective, but take a lot of time, so they are not suitable for those who have more than 40-60 acres of sunflower.
Sunflower yield - what can you expect
Many people think that getting 4 tons per hectare is something fantastic and requires incredible effort. In fact, sunflower is a very responsive crop that responds well to agricultural practices and fertilizers, and it is quite easy to grow record yields for our area.
The average yield in the temperate climate zone is 23 q/ha. Mid-early varieties give a little less, their yield does not exceed 17-18 centners / ha, in some cases it is possible to achieve 35-40 centners, but this is mainly on breeding plots. Late varieties have a slightly higher indicator - an average of 25-28 kg / ha, in some cases they give 45-50 under the condition of conventional field cultivation. Varieties and hybrids also have a big difference in the average. The average yield of late varieties is 28 c/ha, while hybrids overtake them by 10-15% and give an average of up to 33 c/ha.
In order to collect record yields and get a large and full seed, you must adhere to the basic rules of the gardener. Let's consider them in more detail.
- Timely sowing. Never plant grain in cold soil, as the plant will slow down in growth and this will greatly affect its subsequent yield.. It is necessary to place the seed in warm soil (at least 15 degrees). This is the only way to expect a significant increase in mass during harvesting. It is also impossible to delay sowing, as sunflower does not like heat. Landing at the end of May might just kill him. By the time the air temperature is + 25-30 degrees in the shade, the plant should completely cover the ground with leaves and retain moisture. Its root reaches 2.5-3 meters deep and will nourish the stem even in the greatest heat.
- Proper fertilization schedule. When sowing, 100 kg/ha of orthophosphoric nitrate and superphosphate are applied. After the plant is 30-35 centimeters in height, it is necessary to foliate with carbamide (the dose of each drug is indicated on the package), only then the sunflower yield per 1 ha can reach 45 or more centners. Another top dressing is carried out in a month, when the sunflower has completely formed its head, just before flowering, in order to add as much mass as possible.
- Correct agricultural work. Be sure to plow the field to a depth of at least 25 centimeters in the fall, then make at least 2 cultivations (preferably 3), and after planting the sunflower, treat the area with rollers and compact the soil, at the same time level it. It is necessary to carry out a herbicide treatment against weeds, as well as hilling the rows, at the moment when the plants are 40-70 cm in height, in order to give more oxygen to the root system.
By fulfilling these simple requirements, you can count on record harvests and harvest 40, 50 or more centners per hectare without any problems. Next, it is already necessary to save the seed crop and use highly efficient headers and harvesting equipment.
The most high-yielding varieties
Seed material plays one of the most important roles. Up to 40% of the crop can depend on the quality of the seeds, since many of them have a potential yield of up to 35-40 kg / ha and it is simply impossible to grow more, even with perfect care. Consider the best varieties and hybrids that are acclimatized on the territory of the Russian Federation.
- Pioneer. Tall hybrid, reaches 190 cm, hats have a diameter of 35-50 centimeters, depending on planting density. It is resistant to many diseases, easily tolerates drought, and therefore is very popular in the southern regions of the Federation. The average yield is 30 c/ha, on breeding plots it was possible to grow up to 75 c/ha under ideal conditions. It has a high percentage of oil, due to which it is in great demand among manufacturers of this product.
- NK Rocky. A hybrid of American selection, which has been successfully grown on the territory of the Russian Federation for 15 years and is perfectly acclimatized in the temperate climate zone. Potential yield - 65-70 kg / ha, average - 40 kg / ha. The hybrid is resistant to droughts and pests (to the meadow moth in particular). For several years of cultivation in Russia, it has become very popular and is recommended for industrial cultivation. It contains a lot of vegetable oil and has a large specific gravity (up to 460 grams / liter).
- Gourmand. The most popular confectionery variety of seeds, which is grown in almost all territories of Russia. There are several disadvantages: the seeds have a low specific gravity, sometimes they are hollow, the yield does not exceed 25 kg / ha, and a very long growing season - 145 days from germination to technical maturity. But all these disadvantages are more than offset by the advantages. Large grains are suitable for the confectionery industry, the seeds are very sweet and ideal for frying, they keep well and do not gain acidity over time. The heads practically do not crumble, they are convenient to collect (minimum losses during harvesting). 5 out of 5 for taste.
There are other hybrids and varieties that are recommended for industrial use, but these consistently give good yields, regardless of weather conditions and other factors, are as resistant to diseases as possible.
Agricultural activity rarely attracts businessmen. Growing sunflowers is not difficult, especially if you start doing such an activity in a region suitable for climate. High business profitability attracts businessmen. A well-organized business can bring in 200 or 300 percent of the profit. High rates can be achieved in areas favorable for growing a flower.
Sunflower business products
The product of sunflower cultivation is its seeds. Many other products necessary for a person are made from them:
- You can eat peeled sunflower seeds;
- Production of sunflower oil - an indispensable product found in every kitchen;
- Production of margarine - an analogue of butter;
- Production of useful sweets: halva, gozinaki and sweets;
- The seeds are used by the confectionery industry for the production and decoration of products.
Until recently, nothing was known about such a product as sunflower; it came to us from North America only under Peter the Great.
Sunflower varieties - which one to choose for business?
To effectively grow sunflower for sale, the farmer will have to choose the most suitable variety for his region:
- Spring. The most commonly sown sunflower variety in Russia. Plants of this variety have the shortest vegetative period, lasting only 83 days. This variety is well suited for the production of oil, this is facilitated by a high (55) percentage of its content. Up to 30 centners of crops can be harvested from one hectare even under adverse weather conditions.
- Gourmand. This variety was bred relatively recently, but has already managed to gain popularity. This was facilitated by high yields. At least 35 centners are collected from one hectare. The seeds of this variety are distinguished by a large regular shape, thanks to which they won the love of confectioners who use them to decorate their products. Plants cope well with possible diseases.
- Yenisei. The plant is disease resistant and matures quickly. Only 90 days pass from planting to harvest. The variety gives large seeds, gives up to 4 kernels when crushed. But the plants of this variety have low indicators: the percentage of oil content is only 46, and it is not always possible to harvest more than 24 centners of the crop from one hectare.
The main genetic disadvantage of each of the sunflower species is its heterogeneity. Seeds ripen for about 2 months, during the harvest period some plants are already fully ripe, while other x brothers are just beginning to bloom. It can be very expensive to clean the fields several times a season, so unripe seeds have to be dried additionally.
Another feature of the plant is its phenotypic heterogeneity. The germination of plants, their flowering and maturation are heterogeneous, all flowers will have different heights, sizes of baskets, their slopes. For this reason, cleaning will be very complicated.
You can deal with these problems using hybrids. Such varieties have a number of advantages:
- Less soil depletion;
- Rapid maturation;
- Practically not susceptible to disease;
- All seeds will be the same size;
- Simultaneous maturation of all plant specimens.
Hybrid seeds are much more expensive than simple varieties, so farmers very often prefer them, but when harvesting "thrifty" farmers, unexpected costs will await:
- Due to the heterogeneity of the harvest, equipment wears out much faster and will soon require costly repairs or replacements;
- When harvesting, a third of the crop is lost;
- It is not always possible to effectively dry the seeds.
Choosing a site for growing sunflower
The main feature of sunflower cultivation is the need to constantly change the places where the flower grows. This is due to the unique feature of the plant - it "sucks" all the useful substances from the soil, completely depleting it and turning the once fertile soil into a lifeless land in just a season.
To combat this disease of the soil, experts recommend constantly changing the places where the flower grows and letting the earth rest for at least a couple of seasons.
Sowing and growing sunflowers
Sowing work begins with the purchase of seeds. On a plot of one hectare, about 5 kilograms of quality seeds will be required. One kilogram costs about 200 rubles, so the purchase of seed for the site will cost 1000 rubles.
After purchasing the required number of seeds, prepare the soil on the site:
- In autumn, the land is plowed with a tractor. Equipment does not have to be owned, rent of agricultural machines is now common.
- In the spring, after the snow melts and the soil warms up, the site must be harrowed and cultivated.
- After the climate stabilizes above 10 degrees Celsius and warm weather is established, seeds are planted. To create ideal growing conditions, sunflower seeds are placed in the soil by 8 - 10 cm. In this case, seedlings will appear as quickly as possible.
- Uniform maturation of seeds is ensured by the simultaneous planting of all seeds on the same day.
It is important to monitor the absence of weeds near fields with sunflowers. To combat excess plants, the space between the rows of sunflowers must be periodically weeded to remove excess sprouts.
Sunflower harvest
Harvesting begins when most of the plants turn brown. The collection begins when only 10% yellow remains on the field. The rest of it should be dry.
All harvesting work must be done in less than a week. In this case, the losses will be minimal. They will make up about 5% of the total harvest. To reduce losses, it is necessary to take care of timely harvesting. The best time to collect is a sunny dry day with humidity up to 20%.
Agricultural machinery is used for harvesting. Behind the combine should not be more than 3% of the crop.
To increase harvesting efficiency and prevent crop losses, it is recommended to stop the machines every three hours for inspection. They must do their job effectively:
- separation;
- Threshing;
- grain cleaning;
- Harvest accumulation.
Sales of products
To sell products, the farmer must conclude agreements with confectioners, points of sale and butter factories. It is recommended to do this without waiting for the maturation of the plants. To protect against unexpected crop losses and non-fulfillment of contracts, they can be concluded for a crop volume less than expected. Unsold products can be kept for personal use or retail sale.
Storage of unsold products
Seeds immediately after collection do not tolerate storage, undergo changes and rot. High humidity and contamination negatively affect the shelf life of this product.
- The temperature of the seed rises to 25 degrees Celsius. At the same time, flowability, smell, taste, gloss, color and germination do not change.
- The temperature is already rising to 40 degrees. Microorganisms develop rapidly on seeds. The smell becomes musty, the taste becomes bitter, the shine is lost, and the seeds themselves are covered with mold fungi. Even the color of the nuclei changes. At this stage, the seeds are no longer suitable for further use. The mound of seeds is strongly compacted, the oil is characterized by an increase in acidity. At the same time, the germination of seeds decreases markedly.
- In the third stage, the temperature reaches 55 degrees. At this point, already thermophilic bacteria are actively developing. Unpleasant tastes and odors are aggravated, the seed coat begins to darken, and the shine disappears. The acidity of the oil becomes critical, the seeds are no longer suitable for human consumption by 85%. Their germination is completely reduced to zero.
- In the fourth stage, the seeds continue to increase their temperature. This stage is characterized by one hundred percent defectiveness of seeds.
Long-term storage will be effective only if seeds with a low contamination of up to 2% are selected for it. They should be dried to 5 - 7% moisture. For efficient storage, they are cooled to low, but positive temperatures.
Subject to these rules, sunflower seeds can be stored for up to 6 months.
Profitability of business on sunflowers
The profitability of a business depends on the combination of income and expenses. To process one hectare, you will need the following equipment:
- Pre-sowing treatment will cost 3000 rubles.
- Pest control - another 1200.
- Cleaning costs 2000.
- Fuel costs will be approximately 1000 rubles.
The income will be 40,000 rubles per ton. About 2.5 tons of crops can be harvested from one hectare, taking into account losses. It turns out an income of 100,000 - 7200 \u003d 92,800 rubles per hectare.
Video about sunflower cultivation:
The sunflower is one of the most recognizable plants, not only for its beautiful and vibrant appearance, but also as a source of vegetable oil.
The potential of this crop has not yet been fully disclosed, which makes it possible to develop more and more new varieties that are superior to the older ones in terms of performance.
It is about new hybrids and long-bred varieties that will be discussed.
Variety "Jason"
This sunflower is a hybrid. Released in Serbia. The plant is typically tall for this species, growing up to 160-185 cm in height.
The growing season takes approximately 107-110 days, which makes it possible to classify this variety as early ripe. Jason's basket is medium in size, up to 18-24 cm in diameter, slightly flattened.
Seeds are gray-striped, oils in them are approximately 49.7-50.4%. 1000 seeds weigh about 93 g. Flowering and ripening period in plants of the hybrid variety "Jason" pass evenly.
Direction set as oilseed. The partiality and huskiness of seeds is 99.7% and 21-22%, respectively.
The maximum yield per 1 hectare is approximately 4-4.2 tons of sunflowers. Plants of this variety grow well in conditions of too dense planting, do not crumble, are well resistant to lodging, but can suffer greatly from severe drought and heat.
As for diseases, no dew will harm these sunflowers, but rot of various types can slightly spoil the crop.
Variety "Lux"
This sunflower variety is the result of a careful selection of plants of the Donskoy large-fruited variety. Thanks to such a good "parent", sunflowers of the "Lux" variety not affected by various diseases that affect the so-called confectionery sunflowers.
This variety is highly productive, but its ripeness group is medium. Vegetation is delayed, on average, for 100-105 days, which makes it possible to rank "Lux" among the early varieties.
The yield is very high, on average, 3.2-3.4 tons of sunflowers can be obtained per hectare of the field. This variety is good because it has very large seeds, the weight of 1000 pieces reaches 135-145 g. The kernels are large, they do not adhere too tightly to the walls of the achene.
In height, plants can gain 175-185 cm, and the basket grows up to 25-27 cm in diameter, has a slightly convex shape, and is also lowered down. The oil content is 44.4% and the huskiness is 20%.
Sunflowers of the "Lux" variety are not affected at all by different types of broomrape, rot, verticillosis and fomopsis, but may suffer a little from downy mildew. Also this sunflower is an excellent honey plant. It is characterized by a fairly high resistance to drought, grows well in any soil and climate. For Lux, thickening is detrimental.
Variety "Nutlet"
It was bred as a result of selection of varieties of the confectionery direction "Lakomka" and "SPK". Refers to the early maturing. Suitable for growing in any conditions that are technically suitable for the cultivation of this crop.
Sunflowers of the Oreshek variety are low, on average 160-170 cm, grow in 103-104 days. Seeds are black, covered with longitudinal stripes of dark gray.
The achene is oval-oblong in shape, large in size - 1000 seeds weigh 145-150 grams in the event that the norms of cultivation density were observed.
Plants bloom and ripen together, seeds are tied even in the worst climatic conditions. The percentage of oil in the kernels is 46-50%.
The yield is very high, per hectare accounts for 3.2-3.5 tons of crop. They have genetically innate immunity to broomrape and sunflower moth, almost unaffected by downy mildew and Phomopsis.
Variety "Lakomka"
The “parents” of this variety are biotypes of the “SPK” variety, which underwent a thorough single selection.
"Lakomka" is a large-fruited mid-season variety that matures fairly quickly- in 105-110 days. Flowering and ripening are aligned. The bushes are very high, up to 1.9 m, the basket is lowered, convex in the area where the seeds are attached, of medium diameter.
Yield is good, 31-35 centners per 1 hectare. The purpose of the variety is universal, because due to their good taste these seeds are suitable for the confectionery industry, and due to the high oil content (50%) of their seeds, a by-product can be made.
The yield of oil will be approximately 1.4 tons per hectare. The seeds themselves are large, elongated, 1000 pieces in weight will reach 130 g. The honey plant from Lakomka is excellent.
Also, these plants do not need pesticides during cultivation, as they can grow to impressive sizes in poor conditions. Does not fade in the heat, does not crumble and does not lie down. It is immune to moths, broomrape, powdery mildew.
Variety "Forward"
Hybrid. As a result of selection, it acquired resistance to sclerotinia, races of sunflower broomrape and phomopsis. Almost does not suffer from various types of rot and downy mildew.
Belongs to mid-early varieties. Vegetation takes 104-108 days. At the initial stages, it develops very quickly, does not suffer from a lack of moisture and high temperatures, the stems do not lie down, and the plants themselves ripen very amicably, and the height of the stems throughout the field is almost the same, which makes it easy to harvest.
Plants reach a height of 182-187 cm. The diameter of the basket is 15-20 cm, it is slightly convex in shape, lowered down. The direction of this sunflower hybrid is oilseed, since the percentage of vegetable fat in the kernels reaches 49.3-49.7%.
The husk and shell content of seeds is 21-22% and 99.7%, respectively. The achene itself is striped, dark, the stripes are also dark, of medium size. The weight of 1000 seeds fluctuates around 90 g, 97% of crops germinate. From a hectare you can harvest 43-44 centners of the crop.
Variety "Oliver"
A hybrid of Serbian production with a very short maturation period (90-95 days). The plants themselves are low, 135-145 cm in height, do not branch, with a powerful root system that penetrates to a depth of 1.5-2 m. Baskets are medium in size, thin, due to which they lose water very actively, flat in shape, even in the seed attachment area.
The seeds are medium, wide ovoid, dark, the weight of 1000 pieces is 60-70 grams. The shell layer of seeds is well developed, huskiness is 22-24%.
Oil in the seeds is at least 47-49%, which determines the direction of sunflowers of this variety - oil. The oil yield is 1128 kg per 1 ha. The yield is 23.5 centners per 1 ha, but with good care and proper planting, the figure can reach 45 centners.
As for diseases, neither downy mildew, nor rust, nor sunflower moth will harm the plants of this variety. Also these sunflowers have enough high resistance to drought and heat.
Variety "Rimisol"
Hybrid oilseed sunflower. The growing season is delayed by 106-110 days. Sunflowers of the Rimisol variety are characterized by high nectar productivity, as well as a lack of response to a lack of moisture. With proper care of plants from 1 ha of area, you can get more than 40 centners of the crop, which is a fairly good indicator.
Plants reach a height of 140-160 cm, with a fairly thick stem, a large number of leaves, a well-developed root system that will “get” moisture even from a depth of 1.5-2 m.
The basket at "Rimisol" is 19-22 cm in diameter, tilted down, convex, rather thin. Seeds are black, elongated, the weight of 1000 pieces is, on average, 75 g.
In the initial stages of development, plants grow very quickly. Oil in the kernels contains approximately 46-48%, husk values are kept at the level of 21-23%. Resistance to lodging and shedding is quite high.
Also a plant immune to rust and moths, almost does not suffer from Phomopsis, but requires treatment against all races of broomrape.
Variety "Atilla"
Belongs to super early varieties, matures in 95-100 days. The first shoots can be seen already after 58-60 days after planting.
It has a particularly strong resistance to diseases of various kinds, perfectly takes root in a variety of soils.
