Sunflower Cultivation in India with Varieties & Planting Method
Sunflower is cultivated as an oilseed crop. As a result, selling the plants’ blossoms and seeds, often known as cash crops, will allow you to make a larger profit. Additionally, oil is removed from their seeds and which is used medicinally. After removing the oil, the remaining part is used for poultry and animal feed. America is said to the birthplace of sunflower plants, but sunflower is currently being cultivated worldwide.
It is also grown in several regions of India; it takes the plants three to four months to achieve full maturity. It can harvested during the three seasons of Kharif, Zayed, and Rabi. Essential details about the pricing of sunflowers in 2021 are provided.
Suitable Soil, Climate and Temperature for Growing Sunflower
Sunflower cultivation requires sandy loam soil with proper drainage. Apart from this, its cultivation can done in many soil types. The pH of the soil should range from 5 to 7. Sunflowers can generally cultivated in all three seasons, but Rabi and Zayed seasons consider appropriate for their crop. Its plants exhibit very few diseases during this time, which helps to provide a healthy output.
When transplanting the seeds, we required a 15-degree temperature because they do not germinate well in high temperatures. The average temperature during plant growth and dry climate is necessary for flowering.
Sunflower Varieties
Broad improved types of sunflowers are available in the market, divided into two parts. Information is as follows:-
Cluster Species
Farmers only grow this rare variety since its plants are tiny and produce little. Mardan and Surya are the two main cultivars of this species that is consider appropriate for cultivation.
Marden
This particular plant’s growth cycle takes 90 days. After which, its plants grow up to three feet tall. Its seeds contain 40% oil, which you can get from them. Therefore, its plants consider suitable for multi-cropped places.
Surya
Plants of the Surya variety mature after 80 to 85 days of sowing seeds. The plant is 3 to 4 feet tall when fully developed. This variety gives 12 quintal yields per hectare.
Sunflower Field Preparation
Before sowing sunflower seeds, prepare the field by ploughing the area properly and applying the right amount of manure. For this, deep ploughing of the field is done first. After ploughing, the field is left open for some time so that the soil gets sunlight properly. After this, 15 days before planting the seeds in the field, plough about 10 to 15 carts of old dung manure in a one-hectare field; this will get the manure well in the soil of the field. If you are plowing large land, you should prefer the AC tractor model, which helps you work for a long time.
There is a high requirement for moisture in the sunflower field, so apply water in its area and get it plough. After this, apply the rotavator in the field and get it plough again, making the soil friable. When the last ploughing, you should use an appropriate amount of N.P.K. In addition, sunflower plants require gypsum, which must be provided as 80 kg of gypsum per acre of field.
Sunflower Seeds Planting Time and Method
It would help if you did the planting of sunflower seeds on the meadows because planting its seeds on flat land gives less yield. Therefore, the bund should prepare before planting the seed. There must be 25 to 30 cm between these created meadows. The seeds sown in meadows at a 15 cm interval and a 4 cm depth. Then, in the field, plant these seeds.
Sunflower Crop Harvesting
The full maturation of sunflower plants takes 90 days. After this, its flowers plucked. After harvesting the flowers, they collect and dried in a shady place. After drying, the seeds removed from their flowers by the machine. About 20 to 25 quintals of yield is obtain from its one-acre field. The market price of sunflower is Rs.4,000 per quintal. Due to this, farmer brothers can easily earn up to one lakh in less time than their one-time crop. For this process, we recommend buying the best and most popular tractor price.
For more such farming information, stay tuned with us and learn about tractor models’ prices and specifications.