Land Preparation

Generally sunflower is grown as a rainfed crop in kharif, hence to make use of rain water, it is necessary to plough the land once by a mould board plough followed by harrowing soon after the onset of the rains. Sunflower requires loose and friable soil for the germination of seed. The soil is brought to fine tilth by ploughing 4-5 times followed by planking after each ploughing . The soil should be made free from weeds and stubbles of the previous crop. The soil that are infested with termites, soil grubs etc, Should be treated with Fenitox 5 percent or Malathion 4 percent @ 25-30 kg per hectare or Carbaryl 10 percent @20 kg. Per hectare or Chlorpyriphos @1ml per litre of water .

• It should be applied and mixed with soil at the last preparatory tillage , F.Y.M or Compost @ 20-25 cartloads per hectare, should be applied at the time of the land preparation.
• The crop prefers deep fertile soil adequately supplied with moisture without producing water logged conditions that adversely affects the germination of seed.
• Deep ploughing and fine tilth is preferred for sunflower since, the tap root goes to deeper layers of soil and the lateral root system is bushy and thus the nutrients and moisture are taken by the plants from deeper layers.
• If the land is slopy, the cultural operations, sowing and formation of dead furrows should be taken up across the slope.

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