MULTAN:
The Punjab Agriculture Department has issued cultivation recommendations for the spring sunflower crop, highlighting its importance for short-duration oilseed production.
According to a spokesperson, sunflower contains around 40 per cent high-quality oil and has a crop duration of 100 to 110 days. Due to its short maturity period, it can be easily grown between two major crops. Sunflower can be cultivated twice a year. However, the autumn crop generally yields less than the spring crop.
The department emphasised that timely sowing was crucial for achieving higher yield and better oil content. For this purpose, the province has been divided into three zones with specific sowing schedules.
In South Punjab, including districts Multan, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Vehari, Muzaffargarh, Layyah and Lodhran, farmers have been advised to complete sowing by January 31.
In central Punjab districts, the sowing time has been fixed from January 1 to January 31, while in north Punjab, including Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum and Chakwal, sunflower can be sown from January 1 to February 15.
Farmers have been advised to use clean, high-germination hybrid seed at the rate of two kilogrammes per acre, with a germination rate of at least 90%.
The recommended population is 22,000 to 23,000 plants per acre.
