What causes empty and shriveled sunflower seeds? What are the reasons

The sunflower is a fairly common flower in our daily lives, and its seeds are the sunflower seeds we often eat. The market demand for sunflowers is very large, so the planting area keeps expanding, but as more and more are planted, sunflowers have gradually developed some problems. One of these is empty and shriveled seeds, which can severely reduce sunflower yields. So what causes empty and shriveled sunflower seeds? How should they be prevented and controlled? Let's take a look below!

1. Water

Cause: Sunflowers have fairly strong cold resistance, but during the flower disc growth period they need a large amount of water. If water is lacking at this stage, the rate of empty and shriveled seeds will rise and the yield will drop. Lack of water during the production period, along with failure to water in time, is the main cause of empty and shriveled sunflower seeds.

Prevention and control: We should strengthen water management in sunflower cultivation, observe the sunflowers' growth, and water promptly when the soil becomes too dry. Also, during the flower disc growth period, increase the frequency of watering to avoid drought affecting flower disc growth.

2. Temperature

Cause: Sunflowers do not have high temperature requirements. When the seeds germinate, keeping the temperature above 4 degrees is enough, and when the seedlings emerge, the temperature should be adjusted to around 9 degrees. However, in many cases it is improper temperature management by growers that causes the seeds to fail to adapt after sowing, hindering germination and emergence, affecting the coordinated reproductive and vegetative growth of sunflowers, and causing empty and shriveled seeds.

Prevention and control: During cultivation we should still adjust the surrounding temperature well. After sowing, try to keep the temperature at 8-10 degrees to promote seed rooting and emergence. After germination, adjust the temperature to around 30 degrees. Throughout the whole growth period, the temperature must not exceed 44 degrees or fall below 4 degrees, otherwise growth will be seriously affected.

3. Light

Cause: Everyone knows that sunflowers love sunlight very much, and the leaves and flower discs of sunflowers have very strong phototropism. If light is insufficient, seedling growth is hindered, the stems and leaves lack nutrients during the growth period, the flowering and pollination rate decreases, and seed setting is inadequate. This causes sunflower seeds to be insufficiently plump and greatly increases the rate of empty and shriveled seeds.

Prevention and control: Sunflower plants slowly move with the sun during their growth period, so we must ensure there is sufficient light. If sudden weather changes occur, artificial supplementary lighting should be turned on in time to prevent the sunflowers from losing their direction of growth and affecting the seed-setting rate.

4. Density

Cause: The planting density of sunflowers is closely related to the variety. Oil-type varieties have relatively short plants, so they can be planted somewhat more densely. But if planting density is blindly increased, the sunflower population structure becomes chaotic, and plants compete with each other for water, nutrients and light. This leads to insufficient light energy utilization and increases the rate of empty and shriveled sunflower seeds. Not only is the yield insufficient, but the quality is also greatly affected.

Prevention and control: When planting, we must control the planting density well according to the variety, environment, soil fertility and various other aspects, to avoid planting too densely and causing sunflower plants to affect each other. We should create a good growing environment for sunflowers, reduce the rate of empty and shriveled seeds, and increase the yield.

The sunflower is a cross-pollinated crop. The success rate of natural pollination is low, which can also cause empty and shriveled sunflower seeds. Therefore, during the sunflower pollination period, we should use artificial pollination or insect pollination methods to increase the pollination rate of sunflowers and reduce the rate of empty and shriveled seeds. Of course, nutrition, continuous cropping and so on are also main causes of empty and shriveled sunflower seeds, and are all things everyone needs to pay special attention to during cultivation. Only by reducing the rate of empty and shriveled seeds can high and abundant yields be ensured and one's cultivation benefits expanded.