Growing Food: A Guide to Food Production

UTILISATION

• 90% of sunflower grain produced is crushed for oil—the nutritive value equals
  that of olive oil. It is used for margarine, cooking oil and in industry for soaps,
  lubricants, paints, varnishes and cosmetics. Modern varieties produce grains


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  When they are shredded and incorporated into the soil they improve soil

  
  

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LIMITATIONS

There are relatively few problems growing sunflowers, which are hardy plants that
can adapt to a wide range of growing conditions. However:

• Uneven maturity of the grain makes the timing of harvest critical, and not easy
  for the farmer to decide. While many of the seeds will be dry and starting to fall
  out, others may still be at 50% moisture.


• Loss of germination and/or damage by fungi can occur if the moisture
  content of stored seed exceeds about 8–9%, especially in warm conditions.


• Damage by birds can be serious; a number of different diseases can also
  reduce yields considerably.


• It may not always be possible to select, or obtain seed of, the appropriate
  variety.

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with 50% oil and more.

roasted.

In many countries they are grown mainly for human food, either raw or

Whole grains are used as a high protein (13–27%) poultry food.

The leaves by themselves make good silage, but silage that is made from the

entire plants is less nutritive and palatable than silage made from maize.

The presscake, or oilcake, is a useful animal food, containing 30–40% protein; it

is also sometimes used as fertiliser.

fertility, mainly Nitrogen, Calcium and Potassium, as well as increasing the

The stalks are used for pulp in the paper industry, and as a source of cellulose.

organic matter content.

The flowers are used to produce a yellow dye.

The dried heads can be used for animal food, containing about 9% protein and

Honey is often produced as a by-product. Bees are the best pollinators of

The crop is sometimes used as a green manure.

sunflowers, so beehives are often placed in sunflower fields.

3% oil.

GROWING FOOD – THE FOOD PRODUCTION HANDBOOK