The sunflower plant appreciates warm dry climates, as found in many parts of Africa and the Middle East. It is suitable for cultivation in rainfed areas.

The crop management practices for soil preparation and sowing are also similar of that used for other rainfed crops such as cotton, sorghum, etc ...

From its Latin name Helianthus annuus L, the sunflower is an oleaginous plant belonging to the Asteraceae family. This large annual plant can grow up to 4 meters high. The sunflower's name comes from the fact that its flowers turn toward the sun during the day.

Root system

The sunflower has a very strong root system. A long root pivot allows it to fetch water and nutrients from up to 2 meters deep which is much deeper than other traditional crops.

This feature gives the plant some tolerance to water stress. Sunflowers do well in deep and structured soils, accommodating themselves to lower water and nutrient contents.

Work in dry conditions and use the false seedbed technique

For soil preparation, it is essential to work in dry conditions, before the first rains. Also, encouraging the germination of weeds before planting will help the development of weed free crops.

Optimize the availability of water

Depending on the amount and duration of rainfall during the rainy season, planting should be done in a fairly short window, that is to say, after sufficient rains have fallen and before the ground becomes waterlogged.

In heavy clay soils, it is important to maintain good soil structure with aeration while maintaining the firmness required for root deployement. We encourage the use of robust multifunction machines.

Thus, good tillage and fast seeding allow for optimal root development. This is the key to success and will allow the plant to withstand future droughts.

Precision, speed and multifunctionality

Plowing and planting tools which are both multitasking and fast were favoured to carry out field work. These allow both a minimum amount of labour time and of passages. The results are spectacular!

Growing sunflowers, as with corn, requires optimum plant density per hectare and as regular distribution as possible in the rows.

We encourage the use of single seed pneumatic drills (air seeders), which unlike mechanical seeders (Brazilian type drills), allow very precise sowing, seed by seed, even if the seeds are not perfectly calibrated. The ability of the seeder to place the seed at the right depth is also an important factor to ensure regular germination (in time and space).