The main oilseed crop of our country is relatively resistant to weather and always forms at least a minimal yield. However, to obtain three tonnes or more of seed per hectare, all elements of the technology must be followed, including foliar feeding.
The weather in 2021 was not the most favorable for the first period of sunflower vegetation because of insufficient heat, which delayed plant development. A sharp rise in temperature in the second half of June not only considerably accelerated plant growth but in most cases caused temperature stress to all field crops without exception. Such weather conditions largely contributed to the spread of diseases, whose harmful effect may reduce yield and product quality.
Can plants withstand stress and the harm from diseases of leaves, stems, head and root system be reduced? To a large extent, yes. For this, first of all, it is important to give plants sufficient boron nutrition. Depending on the conditions in a particular field, one of the ECOORGANIC boron fertilizers can be used: ECOLINE Boron (Organic) 1.0 l/ha, ECOLINE Boron (Premium) 1.0 l/ha or ECOLINE Boron (Opti) 1.0–1.5 l/ha, which besides boron contains zinc in chelate form and molybdenum.
In addition, from the star stage to the start of flowering we recommend applying GROS Amino-Zn 1.0 l/ha in a tank mix with fungicides to reduce the negative effect of temperature stress. This composition showed excellent results on sunflower last season precisely as an anti-stress agent.
In certain conditions sunflower may need feeding with molybdenum:
One such case is when the crop is fertilized only with nitrogen, and for better uptake of nitrogen from fertilizers sufficient molybdenum supply is desirable. The second is the expansion of the sunflower growing area into regions non-traditional for this crop, in particular Polissia, where soils are acidic and molybdenum is in a form hard for plants to access. In such cases it is desirable to add ECOLINE Molybdenum (Complex) 1.0 l/ha to the tank mix.
