EFFECT OF PLANTING DATE, NITROGEN RATE, AND HYBRID ON SUNFLOWER

Authors

Valtcho D. Zheljazkov, Mississippi State UniversityFollow
Brady A. Vick, Sunflower Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Northern Crop Science Laboratory, Fargo, North Dakota
Brian S. Baldwin, Mississippi State UniversityFollow
Normie Buehring, Mississippi State University
Tess Astatkie, Dalhouse University
Billy Johnson, Coastal Plain Experiment Station, Newton, Mississippi

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2012

Citation

Journal of Plant Nutrition, 35:2198–2210, 2012

Comments

U.S. Government Work

Abstract

Sunflower is a potential crop for the southeastern United States for production of cooking oil or biodiesel. In 2007, we evaluated the effect of planting date (PD, 20 April, 20 May, and 20 June), nitrogen (N) application rate (0, 67, 134, and 202 kg ha⁻¹), and hybrid (‘DKF3875’, ‘DKF2990’, ‘DKF3510’, and ‘DKF3901’) on sunflower productivity and oil profile in four Mississippi locations, Newton, Starkville, and two sites in Verona. There was a trend of increased oleic acid concentration with earlier planting dates, especially in hybrids with lower oleic acid concentration. Earlier planting dates of ‘DKF3901’ and ‘DKF2990’ (the hybrid with the lowest oleic acid) actually had 200 to 300 g kg⁻¹ higher concentration of oleic acid when grown in Mississippi vs. the original seed of the same hybrids used for planting and produced at a more northern latitude. This and a recent study in Mississippi suggest that modern hybrids could provide ample yields even when the N fertilization is relatively low.