Fields with sunflowers look amazingly beautiful - plants whose inflorescences look like the sun from children's pictures. This golden yellow miracle is not only gorgeous in appearance, it is also very useful.
In this article we will talk about what a sunflower is. This plant is annual or perennial, in what conditions it grows, what species and varieties are, you will learn by reading it.
The history of sunflower oil production began in England at the end of the eighteenth century. Since then, a variety of sunflower varieties have been bred, which are united by high resistance to various pests and diseases.
General information
Annual sunflower is the most important oilseed crop in the world. Responsive and grateful to the applied agronomic technologies, it is very useful and fertile. It is not for nothing that in heraldry the sunflower flower symbolizes prosperity and fertility. In addition, the surprisingly sun-like plant creates a light and warm atmosphere in any weather in any area.
Sunflower is grown in almost all fertile agricultural zones as a raw material for the production of high-quality vegetable oil. It is also used as a honey, medicinal and ornamental plant.
It turns out that there is another unusual variety of it - tuberous sunflower. It is considered a vegetable crop.
Description
Annual sunflower (Asteraceae family) is a plant with a good root system, relatively quickly developing deep into the soil up to 140 cm (and in special conditions - up to 5 meters), and up to 120 cm wide. Woody stem plants are tall (reaches 4 meters in some places), covered with hairs. Oval heart-shaped leaves are large, with pointed tips.
Sunflower inflorescence is a multi-flowered basket (for oil-bearing forms with a diameter of 15-20 cm) with a slightly convex or flat disc. Large flowers are located along the edges - asexual, reed, yellow-orange, and the middle ones completely cover the receptacle - bisexual, tubular, much smaller.
And a huge variety of seeds has a ripe sunflower. An annual herbaceous plant has an achene-fruit, consisting of a nucleus and a shell. Sunflower seeds contain an average of 22-27% oil, and in the best varieties - 46% or more. One basket, depending on the variety and nature of sunflower care, has from 200 to 7000 seeds.
One-year sunflower has excellent healing properties (astringent, anti-inflammatory, etc.). Flower Formula: L(5)T(5)P1.
Sunflower in Russia
Sunflower is a typical plant of the steppe and forest-steppe zones with any climatic conditions. Approximately 70% of all crops in the world are concentrated throughout Russia. This plant is the main oilseed crop cultivated in Russia. From its seeds, edible and industrial oil is produced in the country.
Remains of processing also do not disappear: the cake is used in the preparation of feed for farm animals; potash is obtained from the ashes from the stems, as well as fertilizer; the tallest varieties (up to 3-4 m) with a huge green mass are cultivated as a silage crop.
History of culture
The plant is native to the southern territory of North America. Annual sunflower was brought to Russia in the 18th century already from the countries of Western Europe. Initially, it was grown as an ornamental plant, but later sunflower seeds began to be used as a delicacy, in connection with which they began to grow it more and more in gardens and orchards.
It is known that the cultivation of sunflower as an oilseed plant in the field culture is associated with the name of the peasant serf Bokarev, who first developed oil from it in 1835.
The sunflower culture was originally particularly widespread in Voronezh and Saratov, and then appeared in other Russian regions.
Sunflowerannual: life form
Forms of annual cultivated sunflower are divided into 3 groups:
growth, having large achenes with a small core, and therefore they have a low oil content. There is no shell layer in the pericarp of such a sunflower, so this plant is relatively easily damaged by sunflower moth caterpillars;
oilseeds have smaller seeds with a shell layer in the pericarp;
mezheumki, representing transitional forms between oilseed and nibbling varieties
In Russia, varieties of oilseed sunflower are of the greatest production interest.
About sunflower varieties
Annual sunflower has a wide variety of varieties cultivated in our time, fully meeting the requirements of existing production.
Distinguish between early and mid-ripening varieties. There are also decorative, widely used to decorate garden and park areas. Below is a summary of some of the most common sunflower varieties in cultivation.
Early ripe varieties
Sunflower Albatross is distinguished by its rather high oil content. The variety is drought-resistant, resistant to diseases and damage from pests. It responds well to extensive cultivation methods. This variety grows up to 195 cm in height.
Buzuluk contains 54% oil in seeds. Quite a drought-resistant variety and has a stable yield in different climatic conditions. Requires fertilizing andquality agricultural technology. Its height reaches 168 cm.
Mid-ripening varieties
The flagship variety is distinguished by large harvest volumes. The oil content in it is 55%. Quite a tall plant, reaching 206 cm.
Favorit also has a high oil content - 53%. The variety is also distinguished by its resistance to hydrolytic oil breakdown, and therefore the resulting raw material has a low acid number. The plant grows up to 200 cm in height.
Highly productive variety Master contains 54% oil in seeds. Responds gratefully to the application of appropriate mineral fertilizers.
All listed varieties are highly tolerant to Phomopsis, resistant to broomrape, sunflower moth and powdery downy mildew.
A little about tuberous sunflower (Jerusalem artichoke)
This species is grown as fodder, technical or ornamental crop. The plant grows well in more southern climatic zones. This is due to the fact that its ripening occurs only from September to November, depending on the variety. The yield of Jerusalem artichoke is up to 35 tons of ripe tubers per hectare.
There is another plant obtained by crossing - artichoke. Such a sunflower has large oval-shaped tubers.
Sunflower cultivation: conditions
The plant is demanding on soils, the best of which for it are sandy loamy chernozems, loamy, and rich in various nutrients. Sandy soils are unsuitable. Excellent predecessors for sunflower are spring barley, winter wheat, corn andlegumes. Again, in the same place, sunflower is sown no earlier than after 7-9 years. You should not sow it at all at the place where root crops, Jerusalem artichoke, perennial grasses were grown last year, namely after crops that have common diseases.
Sunflower responds well to fertilization. The most dangerous pests for the plant are wireworms, beetle, thorn beetle, sunflower barbel. Various methods are used against pests and diseases (white rot and rust): agrotechnical, chemical, mechanical.
Sowing
How is annual sunflower cultivated? Growing from seeds immediately in open ground is the main way. You can also plant pre-prepared seedlings.
For sowing, seeds of zoned varieties with a fairly high germination rate and good sowing qualities are used. Seeds, as a rule, must be calibrated, because it is precisely the same size that sprouts evenly and amicably, and this increases the yield.
Be sure to sow sunflower seeds after warming up the soil to +10… +12 °С, otherwise there will be a decrease in seed yield.
This is interesting
The annual sunflower is grown all over the world. But the sunflower is a truly Russian plant, and this is also recognized abroad. An integral part of rural landscapes are these yellow flowers with black seeds located in the center.
In the German amusement park Europa-Park (the largest in Germany and the second largest in Europe in terms ofvisitors) there is a Russian zone where sunflowers grow. And in Berlin, in one of its districts, the “Sunflower Labyrinth” is arranged in the summer: a sunflower field with intricate paths. In Austria, there is a sunflower park with these plants, and a variety of species and varieties.
Conclusion
The vast fields covered with blooming golden sunflowers look picturesque, bright and cheerful even in inclement weather. Those who wish to decorate their backyard and create the same bright, cozy and cheerful atmosphere can use beautiful decorative annual sunflowers.
They have surprisingly fluffy yellow flowers, in which the seeds are almost invisible. Even their varieties have pleasant soft names: Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, Bear, Teddy Bear. Indeed, the flower is a neat golden ball, more like a fur pom-pom. Such bear sunflowers look quite impressive in flower beds and bloom for a long time.
This cute, hardy flower with bright yellow petals will bring more light, freshness and lots of solar energy to the garden.
