Sunflowers have a long history in Missouri, dating back at least 1,000 years before Native American plantations. Modern cultivars of fresh sunflower seed were not widely grown in US suppliers until the 1970s, when the Southeast Missouri Sunflower Growers Association experimented with processing sunflower oilseeds in 1926.
Sunflowers are well adapted to Missouri conditions, but the northern and western plains are now the main growing area. In recent years, Missouri has increased sunflower acreage and now produces thousands of acres.
The new government policy opens up access to oilseed deficiency coverage (LDP) credits, mainly for sunflower, giving sunflower an economic advantage.
The growing market for sunflowers that use both oilseeds and canaryseeds creates new opportunities to add sunflowers to Missouri’s crop rotation. Sunflower can also be planted from April to July as two crops after wheat.
Adding sunflower to existing crop rotation can reduce pests such as corn borer and soybean nematode. Sunflowers have a shorter growing season than most crops, so they can be planted later or harvested earlier, expanding the workload.
Sunflower is particularly efficient at extracting water from sandy soils and can often tolerate drier conditions than other crops.
Production guide
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is a broad-leaved plant that comes out of the ground with two large cotyledons. Germination takes 4-5 days when planted 1 inch deep in warm soil, but may take a few days longer in cooler or deeper soil. The loosening of the soil makes it difficult to pull large seedlings out of the ground.
Sunflowers grow quickly and produce large, rough leaves. Missouri sunflowers planted in early June flower in early August and mature in late September, about two months later.
Modern sunflower species in Missouri reach an average height of 6 feet, varying from 5 to 7 feet depending on planting date and soil conditions. After reaching sufficient height and flowering, the heads of commercial cultivars turn downward to make it more difficult for birds to eat the seeds.
The sunflower fields are in full bloom and many farmers and passers-by say they enjoy seeing the flowers. Each sunflower head or inflorescence actually consists of two types of flowers. What looks like yellow petals on the edge of the head is actually a flower.
The face of the head consists of hundreds of disc-shaped flowers, each of which grows as a seed (boil). Commercial sunflowers have self-pollinating flowers and do not require insect pollination, although some studies have shown that bee pollination slightly increases yields. They initially rotate with or follow the sun, but instead of descending, they stay to the east.
Statement
Sunflower Of the approximately 3 million acres of sunflowers grown annually in the United States, 90 percent are oilseeds.
Most oilseeds are used for birdseed production, but most seeds are converted to vegetable oil, either dehulled, partially dehulled, or left in their hulls for processing. After pelletizing, they become a very low-value by-product and are often burned as fuel.
Use vegetable oil
Sunflower oil for cooking first appeared in Russia in the 19th century. Although native to the United States, sunflower has not been considered as a source of cooking oil for the past 50 years.
In fact, it was only 25 years ago that it was widely cultivated for this purpose. Sunflower oil has less saturated fat than most vegetable oils.
The development of the NuSun variety, which contains a moderate amount of oleic acid, has increased interest in the use of sunflower oil in cooking. The main advantage of NuSun oil is that it is more stable than many vegetable oils and does not need to be hydrogenated to extend its useful life.
Most major seed companies offer many varieties of sunflowers. Almost all commercial sunflower varieties are hybrids, so new seeds must be purchased each year. Companies are actively producing new sunflower hybrids with disease resistance and high yield.
Several varieties with unique seed oil properties have been created through conventional (rather than biotechnology) breeding, including NuSun sunflowers, which contain more oleic acid in their seed oil than conventional oilseed sunflowers.
in oleic acid (high oleic acid grades are also available for certain food and industrial applications). Comparison of breed trials in Missouri has shown significant differences in productivity between existing breeds that are similar in height and maturity.
No, but in the vegetable oil market, the choice of oilseed can be important. For Missouri varieties and a list of seed sources, see Jefferson Institute Sunflower Variety Publications (tel. 573-449-3518).
Landing
Sunflowers should be planted 1 to 1/2 inch deep. Row spacing studies show that sunflowers perform poorly in narrow rows, but wide rows are suitable for weed control or row crops.
It is not sensitive to the increase in speed. The amount of seeds varies from 15,000 to 25,000 plants per hectare. Sunflower seed sizes vary, so seeding rates by weight should consider seed size, which should be about 3-4 pounds per acre.
Most sunflower seeds available are size 3 or 4. The size of the seed can affect the type of implant changes required, such as purchasing new wafers or inlays.
Sunflower planting can be started anytime after the soil warms to 50°F (April) through mid-July. Planting sunflowers on different days is a good idea to reduce the risk and spread the workload. When planted early, sunflowers can be harvested before corn and soybeans, reducing bird damage.
Late planting allows you to plant after other crops are ready and less likely to be damaged by sunflower moths. Planting two crops after wheat is beneficial for sunflower. In northern Missouri, you can, because sunflowers are more fall-hardy than soybeans.
fertility
Sunflower has moderate fertility requirements but is sensitive to nitrogen. After soybeans in the rotation about 50-70 pounds. One hectare is enough. For non-vegetables, about 80-100 pounds of nitrogen per acre is sufficient.
Animal manure and leguminous cover crops can reduce or eliminate the need for nitrogen fertilizer, and legumes can grow for two months before using legumes and planting sunflowers in early June.
For sunflowers planted twice after wheat, apply about 60 pounds of nitrogen per acre or about 80 pounds when cutting wheat. If the remains of the sunflower crop are planted without processing, this is not one hectare.
P and K should be applied according to soil test guidelines. Since wheat was harvested twice last fall, phosphorus and potassium can be added to sunflowers. In sandy soils, sunflowers often respond to additional potash fertilizers.
It tolerates soils with a pH less than 6 well, but if the pH is less than 6.0, liming should be considered to increase the availability of nutrients in the soil.
Sunflower starter fertilizers are usually only useful in fresh soil in early spring and should not come in direct contact with the seed. It is usually only useful in cool soils in early spring and should not be in direct contact with the seed.
