Key Technical Points for Oil Sunflower Cultivation and Analysis of Yield Performance

Abstract Cultivation techniques: Oil sunflowers can be sown in April and from June to July by the methods of hole sowing, drilling, and dibbling. After deep ploughing of the soil, apply sufficient base fertilizer, and later carry out timely seedling supplementation, thinning, and appropriate pruning. Generally, no additional topdressing is needed, but to promote rapid growth, apply urea once at the seedling stage, and apply potassium fertilizer once after the flowering stage. Note to use phoxim emulsifiable concentrate in a timely manner to control insect pests, and spray carbendazim to control diseases. Yield: The yield of oil sunflowers per mu is about 400-500 jin.

I. Land Preparation and Fertilization

1. Oil sunflowers have a relatively strong ability to adapt to the environment, and most soils can be used for planting. However, reasonable crop rotation must be carried out when planting. In order to improve the yield of oil sunflowers and reduce the incidence of disease, it is not advisable to repeatedly plant them in the same soil. Under normal circumstances, the yield of oil sunflowers per mu is generally about 400-500 jin.

1. Before planting, deep ploughing should be carried out first. This helps to remove some residual bacteria, weeds, pests, etc. in the soil, and also saves labour for later management. Then apply sufficient base fertilizer, mainly farmyard manure, at about 2000 jin per mu, applied together with a small amount of chemical fertilizer, thus laying the foundation for high yield of oil sunflowers.

II. Timely Sowing

1. Under normal circumstances, oil sunflowers can be sown in two seasons, with sowing times in April and from June to July each year. The average temperature in these two periods is about 10-15°C, which is relatively favourable for the development and growth of oil sunflowers.

2. Oil sunflowers can be sown by three methods: drilling, hole sowing, and dibbling. The most commonly used sowing method is dibbling. On previously prepared land, evenly scatter the seeds at appropriate spacing, then press the seeds into the soil and cover with a layer of fine soil. Drilling is relatively more cumbersome: open furrows in the field in advance, then scatter the seeds and cover with soil.

III. Later Management

1. Inspect the field regularly. If missing seedlings are found, thin out the excessively dense seedlings from the field and use them for timely replanting, thereby ensuring a full stand of seedlings. To ensure a certain transplant survival rate, water immediately after replanting.

2. About 7-10 days after the seedlings are established, in order to improve soil aeration and prevent nutrient loss, appropriate intertillage and weeding should be carried out, which helps promote rapid growth of oil sunflowers.

3. When oil sunflowers grow to a certain stage, the relatively dense branches and leaves can be appropriately pruned. At the same time, remove all flower heads that are relatively small and grains that are not plump, keeping only high-quality produce.

4. Oil sunflowers can only set seed through insect-assisted pollination, manual assisted pollination, and wind-assisted pollination. Therefore, a suitable pollination method can be selected according to the specific planting area.

IV. Water and Fertilizer Management

1. After sufficient base fertilizer is applied before planting oil sunflowers, basically no additional topdressing is needed. However, under special circumstances, 1-2 appropriate topdressings may be applied. Generally, at the seedling stage of oil sunflowers, to promote rapid growth of the seedlings, urea may be applied once, and after the flowering stage, potassium fertilizer may be applied once.

2. Oil sunflowers have a relatively strong drought resistance. If there has been no rain before flowering, appropriate watering should be carried out. If there is weather with heavy rainfall, timely drainage should be carried out to prevent disease.

V. Pest and Disease Control

The main insect pests of oil sunflowers include weevils and cutworms, which can be controlled with phoxim emulsifiable concentrate. The relatively common diseases include black spot and sclerotinia, which can be controlled by spraying carbendazim, 2-3 sprays being sufficient.