Sunflower

Sunflowers require full sun to grow well.  They grow best in well drained soil and are relatively drought tolerant.  Sunflower is valued because it is relatively insensitive to negative variations in the growing environment. Even in a dry growing season, yields may be reduced by less than one-third, while yields of maize may be lowered by 60% or more.  On the other hand, while it does respond favourably to more inputs, yields do not increase as dramatically as for maize as inputs are intensified. In Ukraine, sunflower is sensitive to wind and waterlogging.

It is a short season crop, which can be planted over a period of at least three months, thus rendering it adaptable for most crop rotations. Sunflower and maize co-exist well in a rotation.

Ukraine exports nearly 80% of its sunflower seed production, although domestic processing plant capacity is increasing.

Seeds may be used directly for human or livestock consumption. Sunflower oil, extracted from the seeds, is used for cooking oil as well as to produce margarine and biodiesel.  The oil cake which remains after the pressing process is used as a livestock feed.