EVALUATION OF AUTUMN PLANTED SUNFLOWER (HELIANTHUS ANNUUS L.) HYBRIDS UNDER FAISALABAD AGRO-ECOLOGICAL ZONE

Abstract

Present study was conducted during autumn seasons, 2010 and 2011 to evaluate the performance of autumn planted sunflower. During 2010, out of 16 sunflower hybrids, the highest plant population (54444 plants/ha) was recorded from the plots of SMH-0907 while SMH-491 producuced the lowest plant population (26667 plants/ha). FH-415 and SMH-1001 produced highest seed yield 2691 and 2624 kg/ha, respectively; SMH-491 produced minimum seed yield (1053 kg/ha) possibly because of poor crop stand (26667 plants/ha) but however, this hybrid produced maximum achene test weight (7.22 g/100 achenes). NK-S-278 indicated highest oil contents 38.8 percent as against the lowest 31 percent produced by KSF-7777. In 2011, overall performance of all the 14 hybrids was not encouraging. But however, SMH-0927 and T-40318 was higher achene yielder (1107 and 1091 kg/ha), respectively. Significantly, the more test achene weight (4.03g 100-1 achenes) was produced by the sunflower hybrid Sunstar-333 and it was minimum in case of SH-K-6 (2.68g) for 100 achenes. Maximum oil content 32.8 percent was found in the achenes of SMH0821 while SMH-0907 produced the least (26.4%) oil contents. It is concluded that an achene yield of more than 2600 kg per hectare during autumn season may help improve economic conditions of farming communities under Faisalabad conditions. This in turn may help reduce import of edible oil. However, the investigations are required to find out reasons as to why a hybrid like NKS-278 performs well in one year and could not germinate in the next year.