Introduction
Sunflower is one of the oil producing crops. Sunflower is one of the drought tolerant crops and is cultivated for commercial and home use. In Tanzania, most sunflower farmers harvest a small amount of sunflower (they get a low yield between 3 to 5 sacks per hectare), a situation that makes many farmers despair. Due to that situation, this magazine has been prepared to be able to guide farmers on the best way to cultivate sunflower crops to get a better and more productive harvest. When a farmer wants to plant or cultivate sunflowers, he should consider the following in order to get a sufficient yield.
Field Preparation
The sunflower farmer is required/advised to prepare the field early from the month (October to December) by plowing the land and moistening the soil well, the farmer must make sure he has broken up the big lumps of soil in the field before planting, also if the farmer can get manure or compost he can mix manure and soil well when preparing the field. When the field is ready Mixing manure in the soil helps the soil retain water for a long time and also helps the roots to grow well (the roots grow and are not compressed).
Weather
Sunflower is a crop that is resistant to drought and can be cultivated in areas with little rain, moderate to heavy rain, as well as sunflowers do better in loamy soil, although they also do well in clay and sandy soil.
Use of Inputs
Compared to other grain and seed crops, the sunflower crop absorbs the nutrients present in the soil to a large extent due to the sunflower having many roots. Thus, adding nutrients to the soil makes sunflowers grow well and produce more crops, so the farmer is advised to use the right fertilizer at the right time (during planting as well as during growth). When planting, the farmer should use DAP or NPK fertilizers The farmer should put five grams of fertilizer (one soda cap) in the stem during planting. After weeding, the farmer is advised to apply fertilizer. Sunflowers do well if they are grown with NPK fertilizer as much as ten grams (one cup of sulfur) in one stem.
Climbing
Planting of sunflowers depends a lot on the climate of the area. Areas with a lot of rain sunflower should be planted at the end of January until mid-February and areas with little rain such as the regions of Singida, Dodoma and Tabora sunflowers are planted from December to January. About 4-5 kg of seeds are enough to plant an area of one acre. The farmer is advised to plant 2 - 3 seeds in each hole at a distance of 75 cm from line to line and 30 cm from hole to hole or 75 cm by 40 cm or 90 cm by 30 cm for large seeds. The seed hole should be 3-5 cm deep. Two weeks after germination, cut the seedlings in each hole and keep one seedling.
Pesticides And Insects
Sunflowers are attacked by several diseases including rotting of the roots, stem and head. This is caused by the presence of moisture in the soil. This disease causes the plants to fall in the field and causes crop loss Rotting of the roots, head and stem. Leaf spots The leaves of a plant affected by this disease have patches that cause the plant to fail to grow properly due to the failure to make food on the leaves. Leaf rust Leaf curling This disease is caused by a virus and is spread by whiteflies and aphids. The attacked plant has the following symptoms; Stunting of the attacked plant, the leaves turn green and turn yellow, curling of the leaves and reduced leaf size Leaf curling 5.1.5 Downy Mildew This disease is caused by fungus (fungus) and is spread by seeds, air and sunflower remains. It appears when there is a lot of moisture in the air, especially during Spring. Its symptoms are as follows: Egg-shaped spots, pale yellow, appear on old leaves and spread to young leaves. After a few days the yellow spots are covered with gray mold. Leaves shrivel and die from the tips. The seed stem is surrounded by lesions and causes the seed head to fall. Verticilla wilt This disease is caused by a fungus and is spread by waste, contaminated water and air. This disease shows the following symptoms on crops; The lower leaves (mature leaves) develop spots on the bottom. The leaves start to turn yellow starting from the veins of the leaf and later turn brown. The affected leaves dry up. The stem changes color and becomes black. The top of the soil. on the plant that holds the branches/leaves on the inside it grows black Wilt How to deal with diseases Use clean and good quality seeds that have been professionally certified Practice crop rotation, avoid planting one crop in a row in the field to prevent the increase of pathogens that cause diseases Harvest the crops as soon as they are ripe. Clean the field immediately after harvesting to prevent the breeding of disease-causing parasites. If the affected plants are few in the field, remove all the plants that start to show signs of disease to prevent the disease from spreading to the plants that are not affected in the field. Then spray the insecticide INSECTS
AND ANIMALS ATTACKING SUNFLOWER PLANTS
The sunflower crop is highly favored by insects due to its large and brightly colored flowers that attract insects, birds and even animals. Some insects prefer to land on this crop without causing damage, such as bees and butterflies that do pollination. The destructive creatures of this crop include: Birds (kwerea kwerea) destructive birds Kwerea Kwerea These are the most destructive creatures of this crop. Sunflowers are heavily attacked by birds, which can cause the loss of more than 50% of crops. Ways to deal with birds. Cut down all the bushes near the field, which are the nests of birds. Avoid planting sunflowers near trees or forests. Place statues or objects that can scare birds in the sunflower field American ballworm Worms This insect is very dangerous for many crops including sunflower They attack this crop by cutting the plants when they are young, as soon as the flower buds start and the whole period until they are about to mature. How to deal with worms. Use any insecticide such as KARATE. or cover all the remains of crops in the field after harvesting Destroy all the breeding grounds of butterflies in the bushes near the field to encourage insects to continue breeding during the period when the crop is not in the field
AND ANIMALS ATTACKING SUNFLOWER PLANTS
The sunflower crop is highly favored by insects due to its large and brightly colored flowers that attract insects, birds and even animals. Some insects prefer to land on this crop without causing damage, such as bees and butterflies that do pollination. The destructive creatures of this crop include: Birds (kwerea kwerea) destructive birds Kwerea Kwerea These are the most destructive creatures of this crop. Sunflowers are heavily attacked by birds, which can cause the loss of more than 50% of crops. Ways to deal with birds. Cut down all the bushes near the field, which are the nests of birds. Avoid planting sunflowers near trees or forests. Place statues or objects that can scare birds in the sunflower field American ballworm Worms This insect is very dangerous for many crops including sunflower They attack this crop by cutting the plants when they are young, as soon as the flower buds start and the whole period until they are about to mature. How to deal with worms. Use any insecticide such as KARATE. or cover all the remains of crops in the field after harvesting Destroy all the breeding grounds of butterflies in the bushes near the field to encourage insects to continue breeding during the period when the crop is not in the field
Weeds
Sunflower, like other crops, is very affected by weeds, especially when the sunflower is still small, so removing weeds is important and necessary. When a sunflower grows in a field that does not grow weeds, it grows quickly and creates a good shade (canopy) that prevents weeds from growing. Normally, weeding should be done two to three weeks after the sunflowers germinate. There are various ways to prevent weeds in sunflowers. A farmer can remove weeds from his field by doing the following; Removing weeds by using a hand plow or by pulling them out by hand Removing weeds by using a cow-drawn plow or a special tractor Removing weeds by using special drugs (herbicides) to remove weeds in the field that do not affect sunflowers.
Harvesting
SYMPTOMS OF MATURITY
Sunflower harvesting should be done when more than 80 percent of the seeds in the flower/cob have changed color to black or brown in order to reduce the loss that can be caused by birds and the plant breaking and falling. Also when harvesting the leaves change color and become yellow. Signs of sunflower maturity Also, a sunflower plant is mature if the back of the flower/skuke changes color from green to yellow and the stem changes to brown. This happens on the 30th to 45th day after the sunflower pod blooms. In general, the sunflower plant matures 125-130 days after planting.
Sunflower harvesting should be done when more than 80 percent of the seeds in the flower/cob have changed color to black or brown in order to reduce the loss that can be caused by birds and the plant breaking and falling. Also when harvesting the leaves change color and become yellow. Signs of sunflower maturity Also, a sunflower plant is mature if the back of the flower/skuke changes color from green to yellow and the stem changes to brown. This happens on the 30th to 45th day after the sunflower pod blooms. In general, the sunflower plant matures 125-130 days after planting.
HARVESTING METHODS
Sunflowers are harvested by cutting the flower (stalks) using sharp tools such as a knife or sickle. After cutting the spikes, they are hung on tarpaulins to ensure that the humidity has decreased significantly from the plant before picking it up. Sunflower seeds are peeled by beating them so that they come out of the cob. There is also a way to use specialized machines (Combines) that cut the plant, separate the seeds from the flower, remove the trash from the seeds and transport the seeds for storage.
Bei Ya Soko
It changes due to the Area and Season of agriculture
How To Save
After harvesting sunflowers, any kind of dirt mixed with sunflower seeds, for example: stones, weed seeds, leaves, etc. should be removed and also the sunflower seeds should be separated and placed in groups according to the color and size of the seeds to meet the criteria and requirements of market.
PACKAGING
Sunflower seeds should be placed in special equipment that does not allow insects or moisture to enter, such as special bags according to the color and size of the seeds.
STORING
If the sunflower seed is to be stored for a short time, the moisture level required to be present in the seed is less than 12 percent and if it is to be stored for a long time, the required moisture level is less than 10 percent. If the seeds are in special packaging, they should be stored in a special warehouse/room. . The storage warehouse should have the following characteristics: It should have fresh air that flows to prevent the emergence of germs caused by dirty air. It should be properly roofed to prevent the roof from leaking and damaging crops during rains. There should be no holes to allow insects to enter because pests can damage crops. Warehouses Sunflower seeds can be stored for more than one season, but technically it is not recommended to store them for more than one season to prevent a decrease in quality.
...........................................................................PACKAGING
Sunflower seeds should be placed in special equipment that does not allow insects or moisture to enter, such as special bags according to the color and size of the seeds.
STORING
If the sunflower seed is to be stored for a short time, the moisture level required to be present in the seed is less than 12 percent and if it is to be stored for a long time, the required moisture level is less than 10 percent. If the seeds are in special packaging, they should be stored in a special warehouse/room. . The storage warehouse should have the following characteristics: It should have fresh air that flows to prevent the emergence of germs caused by dirty air. It should be properly roofed to prevent the roof from leaking and damaging crops during rains. There should be no holes to allow insects to enter because pests can damage crops. Warehouses Sunflower seeds can be stored for more than one season, but technically it is not recommended to store them for more than one season to prevent a decrease in quality.
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FARM CARE