Sunflower

 Botanical name : Helianthus annuus linn.

Family : Asteraceae (Compositae)

Vernacular name : Surya-phul, suraj-mukhi.


        Sunflower is native of Mexico and Peru. It was introduced into Europe towards the end of 16th century. In recent years Sunflower seed oil has been playing an impoprtant role in the worlds fat, oil industry. It has come to acquire third position among edible, soap and vegetable oils, traded in international markets.


Botanical description

        The sunflower plant is a coarse tall annual. It possess herbaceous stem, and is covered with rough hairs. It is 1.5 to 3.0 metres in height.

        The leaves are large, ovate or cordate dark green. They are simple alternate and exstipulate.

The inflorence is head or capitulum borne in terminal position. the inflorescence bears two types of florets tubluar, bisexual disc florets and peripheral, ligulate florets

        Sunflower is an important oil seed crop of today. It can give large quanitity of top quality oil per unit area per unit time. It is possible to grow three sunflower crops a year withing an averag yield of 20 to 25 quintals per hectare per season. The Sunflower crop can be rotated with any crop as it is neutral plant.

        The crop is now extensively grown all over India. The plant grows well in tropical and sub-tropical climate, 50 to 80 cm rainfall per year is sufficient to kharif crop. It can be grown in well drained allurial loan in kharif while deep heavy soil in rabi season.

        The land is prepared by 1 to 2 shallow ploughings. Seed sowing 5-10 kg/ hectares in octobeer gives good yield. Nitrogen and phosphate fertilizers used in proper proprtaing for good yield.

        the field should be irrigated 20 days before or after the flowering.

The crop is harvested when the heads become mature. the maturity of the hed depend upon variety and season. Mature and dry heads are collected and seeds are searated by beating with sticks or with  the help of threshing machine.

Varieties

    EC- 68414, Modern, S.S-56, EC 69874, L.D.M.R.-S.H.I, L.D.M.R - S.H.3, Sunrise selection for Maharashtra.


Food Value

        It is an major source of vegeatable oil. Sunflower oil contains linenleic acid (51-59%) Oleic acid (27-38) and vitamins A,D,E, It also contains steols, methyl keton, aliphatic hydrocarbon etc. Sunflower oil is semi-drying type of oil. It is pale yellow in colour.

The sunflower oil meal contains 40% protein. It is sweet in taste. the oil after reginement gets a plesant flavour and has excellent keeping quality.


Uses


1. as it is a major source of vegetable oil  ,it is used as cooking medium .it is very good salad oil and used in margarines .


2. sunflower oil is good substitute for groundnut oil in the preparetion of vanaspati ghee.

3. it is priscribed for petients suffering from heart deseases . it helps to prevent increase in cholesterol level in blood .

4. oil meal is used as animal feed .it is also used in the manufacture of paints ,soaps and varnishes .

5. it is also used in manufacture of cosmetics.

6. the seeds are good poultry feed.

7.Sunflowers yield honey and wax.

8. The sunflower oil is used in the manufacture of butter substitutes.



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