Sunflower (Helianthus Annuus)

Area, production and yield in Pakistan

SUNFLOWER BREEDING PROGRAM AT NARC

The Oilseed Research Program, NARC has made efforts for the development of improved varieties of the majority of oilseed crops. These varieties are potentially high yielding and suitable for agro-climatic conditions of the country.

Sunflower 
Development of Local sunflower hybrids

Sunflower breeding at NARC has the following components.

* Development of inbred lines.

* Maintenance of inbred lines.

* Development of new hybrid combinations.

* Evaluation of hybrid combinations.

* Seed multiplication of inbred lines.

* Hybrid seed production on pilot scale.

Development of parent inbred lines used in the hybrid development TAKES 6-7 YEARS for use in hybrid development This involves a number of crossing steps to make the lines genetically pure and uniform. These efforts have resulted in the development of 37 restorer lines and 49 A & B lines. Details of the different parent lines, hybrid combinations and hybrids made are given below.

Parent lines and local hybrids of sunflower developed at NARC

It has been observed after making hundreds of hybrid combinations that variability in the breeding material is low. It is therefore, necessary to enhance the variability in available and new inbred lines by various means. As genetic variability is the key in success of developing new varieties/hybrids. Therefore, at present more emphasis is to develop inbred lines with more genetic variation.

Technologies developed and ready for commercialization with brief description of each Hybrid developed
PARSUN-II Approved hybrid, medium late in maturity (110-115 days), and uniform, high yield potential of 4500 kg /ha, moderately susceptible to insect and diseases, oil contents upto 48%.

GROWING AREAS AND AGRONOMIC PRACTICES OF SUNFLOWER
Soil : Sandy to clay. soil (pH 6.5 to 7.5)
Seedbed Preparation: One deep ploughing with mould board plough followed  by cultivator and plank

Planting Time:

Spring Crop                                                     Autumn Crop

            Punjab                                                

            Attock, Rawalpindi and Gujrat                 1^st Feb -  28^th Feb           1^st July – 25^th July

            Sialkot, Gujranwala, Kasur,                     25^th Jan – 15^th Feb          25^th July – 10^th Aug

            Lahore and Sheikhupura

            Mianwali, Sargodha, Jhang,Pak Pattan    25^th Jan – 10^th Feb          25^th July – 10^th Aug

            Faisalabad, Sahiwal, Okara,

            Khanewal, Vehari, Multan D.G.Khan        15^th Jan – 10^th Feb          25^th July – 10^th Aug

            Bahawal Nagar, Muzaffar Garh,

            Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan                  10^th Jan – 5^th Feb            25^th July – 15^th Aug

            Sindh

            Southern Sindh                                      1^st Dec –  20^th Feb          25^th July – 5^th Aug

            Northern Sindh                                       15^th Dec – 20^th Feb          25^th July – 15^th Aug

            Dobari Crop                                           1^st Nov – 28^th Feb

            Baluchistan

            Plain Areas (Naseer Abad Division)          15^th Dec – 10^th Feb          25^th July – 15^th Aug

            Hilly Areas (Quetta, Khuzdar, Noshki)      15^th Mar – 20^th June

            NWFP

            Plain Areas (D.I.Khan, Bannu and Kohat) 15^th Jan – 28^th Feb          15^th July – 20^th Aug

            Hilly Areas

            Swat, Mansehra and other areas              1^st Mar – 30^th June

            Seed Rate:                                            5-6 kg/ha

            Method of planting:                               Row to row spacing        = 75 cm

                                                                          Plant to plant spacing    = 25 cm.

             Fertilizer::                   Nitrogen             =  150 kg/ha (1/2 at planting + 1/2 at first irrigation)

                                                Phosphorus        =   60 kg/ha

                                                Potassium          =   60 kg/ha

             Irrigations:                  4-5

                                     Spring crop                                          Autumn Crop

                        1^st         25 days  after germination                       15 days after germination

                        2^nd        15 to 20 days after 1^st irrigation                10-15 days after 1^st irrigation

                        3^rd         At the time of head initiation                    At the time of flower initiation

                        4^th         At the time of flower completion               At the time of seed setting

                        5^th         10-15 days before harvest

Weed Control:           Successful weed control should include a combination of cultural and chemical methods.

Harvesting:                Harvest when the back of heads turns yellow and bracts brownish

Threshing:                 Dry for 4-5 days and thresh with thresher

Drying and Storage:  For storage 9.5 % moisture is considered suitable. 

Potential Areas:

Punjab                         =          Multan, Sialkot, Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur, Sahiwal, Sheikhupura, Gujranwala,
                                                Kasur, Vehari, Sargodha, Gujrat, D.G. Khan

Sindh                           =          Thatta, Badin, Hyderabad, Jacobabad, Dadu, Khairpur, Larkana

NWF                             =          Peshawar, Mardan, D.I.Khan

Balochistan                  =          Sibi, Quetta, Qallat, Nasirabad, Lasbela  

Diseases and their Control Measures/Management for Sunflower

Resource Person: