Irrigation effect on sunflower growth, development, and water use
1983
Unger, P.W.
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) production in the U.S.A. has greatly increased in recent years. Some are irrigated in the southern Great Plains, but because of declining water supplies, limited irrigation is often used. To better manage available water for sunflower production, a knowledge of sunflower response to applied water is needed. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of irrigations at readily identifiable growth stages on sunflower growth, development, dry matter (DM) accumulation, total water use, and water use-plant development relationships. Sunflower irrigated at budding were 19 cm taller than those irrigated only at flowering or late flowering. Irrigation at budding also favored leaf and stem DM production. Irrigation at flowering or late flowering was important for head and especially seed development, which resulted in seed being a larger part of total DM at the final sampling. Highest seed and total DM yields were obtained with the full irrigation treatment, but they were not always significantly higher than those resulting from fewer well-timed irrigations, namely those at flowering or late flowering. Irrigation treatments affected the rate of oil accumulation in seed, and had a relatively small but significant effect on final oil percent. Linoleic and oleic acid concentrations of oil were little affected by irrigation treatments.
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