Ridge sowing of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) in a minimum till system improves the productivity, oil quality, and profitability on a sandy loam soil under an arid climate

Abstract

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is a major oilseed crop grown for its edible oil across the globe including Pakistan. In Pakistan, the production of edible oil is less than the required quantity; the situation is being worsened with the increasing population. Thus, there is dire need to grow those sunflower genotypes which perform better under a given set of agronomic practices. In this 2-year study, we compared four sunflower genotypes, viz., Armoni, Kundi, Sinji, and S-278 for their yield potential, oil contents, fatty acid composition, and profitability under three sowing methods, viz., bed sowing, line sowing, and ridge sowing and two tillage system, viz., plow till and minimum till. Among the sunflower genotypes, the genotype Armoni produced the highest plant height, number of leaves, head diameter, 1000-achene weight, and achene yield; the oil contents and oleic acid were the highest in genotype Sinji. Among the sowing methods, the highest number of leaves per plant, head diameter, number of achenes per head, achene yield, and oil contents were recorded in ridge sowing. Among the tillage systems, the highest head diameter 16. 2 cm, 1000-achene weight (57.2 g), achene yield (1.8 t ha), oil contents (35.2%), and oleic acid (15.2%) were recorded in minimum till sunflower. The highest net benefits and benefit to cost ratio were recorded in minimum till ridge sown Armoni genotype. In conclusion, the genotype Armoni should be grown on ridges to achieve the highest achene yield, oil contents, and net profitability.

Conservation tillage improves productivity of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) under reduced irrigation on sandy loam soil

“…Better physiological growth resulted in improved morphological characteristics and yield ( Table 3 ). Our results are in line with several previous findings [ 18 , 19 ] regarding sunflower growth and yield under different tillage systems. Wang et al [ 18 ] reported that conservation tillage confers stable microbial colonies and nutrient utilization which improve soil properties and results in improved growth and productivity of sunflower.…”

“…Drought is a physiological phenomenon that restricts water supply to fulfil its transpiration needs. Drought stress limits regular growth and reduces the morphological traits, such as stem dry weight (SDW), total dry matter (TDM), plant height, stem diameter [ 10 , 19 , 21 , 22 ]. It suppresses stem elongation and eventually reduces the development of sunflower biomass.…”

Combined Foliage Application of Zinc and Boron Improves Achene Yield, Oil Quality and Net Returns in Sunflower Hybrids Under an Arid Climate

“…Twenty plants were randomly selected from each plot to record average plant height, number of leaves, stem diameter and head meter as detailed in Sher et al (2018). Three samples of 1000 achenes were taken from each seed lot to record 1000-achene weight.…”

“…Likewise, different sunflower hybrids differ for achene yield, oil content and oil quality (Sher et al, 2018). Various studies have reported that the yield of sunflower is affected by choice of sunflower genotypes (Al-Doori, 2012;Hassan et al, 2012).…”

Combined Sulfur and Organic Compost Treatment Influences Nutrient Uptake and Photosynthetic Activity to Improve Growth and Yield of Sunflower

“…Ukraine, Russia, the European Union, and Argentina are the leading sunflower producers (Fernández-Martínez et al, 2010). The average sunflower production is 1.3 tons ha -1 in Pakistan, while the production in Russia and other countries is 1.45 tons ha -1 (Semerci et al, 2011) (Sher et al, 2018). Sunflower is a high potential cash crop having a good value of edible oil.…”