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© Wilmington College 2005 

 Other Grain Crops

Common Name:

 Sunflower

Latin Name:

 Helianthus annuus

Variety:

 Petrovik

Crop Origin:

 Western N. America

Type:

 Annual oil grain

Date Planted:

 6 June, 2005

Growth Stages in Ohio

Sunflower Jan 1 06.JPG (3530708 bytes) Sunflower feb 6 06.JPG (2273518 bytes) Sunflower March 4 06.JPG (3688907 bytes) Sunflower Apr 4 06.JPG (3703959 bytes) Sunflower May 5 06.JPG (2906524 bytes) Sunflower 3 June 05.JPG (3226759 bytes)
January February March April May June
Sunflower 1 July 05.JPG (3650484 bytes) Sunflower 7aug05.JPG (2515089 bytes) Sunflower 3 sep 05.JPG (2861531 bytes) Sunflower 1 oct 05.JPG (2943546 bytes) Sunflower 4 Nov 05.JPG (3292687 bytes) Sunflower 2 dec 05.JPG (3847856 bytes)
July August

September

 October November December

Cultivation in Ohio

Primary Uses:

 Food, bird seed

 Planting:

 Plant between May 20 and June 15 to a depth between 1.5 and 2.5 inches.  The seedbed should be prepared so that a moist soil environment is available for seed germination and growth.

 Seeding Rate:

 The ideal population may vary some with variety but populations similar to corn are appropriate. Row width should not be a factor in determining population. Soil yield potential and variety selection are more important.

Fertility:

 Apply 75 to 100 lb/ac N, 50 lb P, and 50-75 lb K.  Prefers soil pH near neutral, between 6.5 and 7.5.

Insects:

 Cutworms, sunflower midge, sunflower beetle, sunflower stem weevil, red sunflower seed weevil, and the banded sunflower moth

Diseases:

 Sclerotinia wilt, rust, and downy mildew

Harvest:

 A row crop head or special sunflower attachment for a grain combine head is necessary to prevent large harvest losses.  Cylinder speed should be 350 rpm for most harvest conditions.  Can be harvested at 20 percent moisture, but market grade is 10%.

Comments:

 Sunflower should be planted as a single crop on marginal land that is not very productive for corn or soybean.                                                                                                            MVB

Identification

Leaf:

 Sunflower leaf1.JPG (1784729 bytes) 

Flower:

 Sunflower flower1.JPG (1609902 bytes)

Seeds:

 Sunflower_oil_seed.JPG (1279798 bytes)

Distribution:

 sunflowermap.gif (11448 bytes)

  More Information  

Links:

 http://ohioline.osu.edu/b472/
http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extpubs/plantsci/rowcrops/eb25w-6d.htm