MANAGING SUNFLOWER GROWTH IN THE CHANGING CLIMATE AND FLUCTUATING MOISTURE LEVELS OF THE WESTERN FOREST-STEPPE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31734/agronomy2024.28.057Keywords:
sunflower, water consumption, climate, soil, moistureAbstract
The main decisive factor in the yield of oilseeds and sunflower is the amount of precipitation, especially during the period of basket formation and flowering. Water makes up 75-90% of the plant body. All life processes, such as seed swelling, germination, growth, nutrient availability, photosynthesis, root nutrition, formation of organic compounds, and crop formation, are related to the moisture availability of the crop. It is noted that sunflower cultivation in recent years has been one of the most profitable industries in the agricultural sector. Sunflower seeds are in constant demand at different times of the year, which indicates their high liquidity and export attractiveness. In addition, concentration of crops in the regions with the most favorable conditions is essential to ensure growth in sunflower seed production.
As water resources become increasingly limited in arid and semi-arid regions of Ukraine, and traditional crop cultivation zones, including sunflowers, migrate to northern regions, agricultural producers require scientifically grounded practices and assessment of sunflower moisture provision in areas of sufficient and excessive humidity.
A field experiment was conducted in 2022–2023 in western Ukraine to determine the impact of sunflower cultivation on changes in soil moisture reserves and compare it with winter wheat under conditions of sufficient moisture in the Western Forest-Steppe zone. The theoretical foundations of effective sunflower cultivation in Ukraine were analyzed, highlighting current trends in the planting of this crop, the influence of environmental climatic factors on the prospects of increasing sunflower-occupied areas in crop rotations, especially in the zone of sufficient moisture (Western Forest-Steppe zone).
High yields of sunflower are possible only in areas with sufficient moisture reserves in the root layer (0-200 cm) in the fall and winter. In the absence of water during this period, crop yields and seed oil content are sharply reduced due to an increase in unfilled seeds, a decrease in the weight of a thousand seeds and a decrease in the number of seeds per basket. This phenomenon is typical for sunflower cultivation in regions with insufficient moisture supply. It is noted that sunflower yield is subject to fluctuations due to various factors, such as violation of agricultural practices, increased aridity of the climate and stress factors.
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