Sunflower is an annual plant cultivated in continental climate and rainy areas of temperate climate. Its’ adaptation rate is very large. As being same as other plants; it needs some specific values for having a normal development period and being efficient. The environmental conditions affect efficiency and seed quality in many different ways for growth and development. Therefore, the reactions of sunflowers against environmental conditions should be well known. In this case, suitable production techniques will be applied against changeable environment conditions.
Sunflower isn’t a very selective plant for soil demand. It can efficiently be cultivated in any soils from sandy to argillaceous. Organic material rich alluvial soils are especially very suitable for sunflower cultivation. It can not well develop in too stony, sandy and acidic soils. Underground water of them shouldn’t be very high and any drainage problem shouldn’t be seen.
Sunflower has a developed green component and removes many nutrient elements from soil during the cultivation period. In order to avoid deficiencies and diseases, same fields shouldn’t be cropped every year. There is an important root parasite named orabanch in the cultivation areas that damages plants. At this point; crop alternation is obligated to remove this harmful parasite. Cropping should be quadrennial. There are various plants to apply this method according to regions in sunflower cultivation. Moreover, crop alternation methods are different from each other in dry and wet climates.
Soil cultivation and seed bed preparation can vary according to regions. Croplands are plowed after harvesting plants. Deep ploughing should be done after wheat harvest and they should be mixed with cultivators in autumn. During the sowing- time, fertilizer and herbicide applications should be applied, the soil should be mixed with gobble disk cultivator one more time and croplands should be ready for planting. Sunflower seeds are usually planted to humid soils.
Plant nutrition materials should be removed in specific amounts for sustainable growth and development of sunflowers. Soil analysis should primarily be made for an efficient fertilization.
Nitrogen Fertilization: Nitrogen is the most important plant nutrition material to restrict efficiency. It rapids the development periods for plants. They can’t show normal development through the lack of it.
Phosphor Fertilization: Phosphoric fertilizer application is necessary for efficiency of sunflowers. The phosphor amount should be detected according to soil analysis in sunflower cultivation.
Potash Fertilization: Potash fertilizers should be applied to soil before planting. The structure of leaf blades spoils, they become thin and weak and windpipes swell through the lack of it.
