The cost of sowing 1 ha of sunflower. Sunflower harvesting in optimal terms with the least crop losses. What should the earth be like?

15.03.2020

Attachments: from 1,000,000 rubles

Payback: from 5 months

Sunflower is an extremely promising crop in terms of agricultural business. It is an unpretentious and rich plant. Sunflower seedlings are able to withstand short-term frosts down to minus 6°C. The income depends on the sown areas. The larger they are, the more profitable the business. Consider what features and risks this business has, and how to get the maximum profit.

business concept

The technological process of growing sunflowers is not difficult, even a beginner can handle it. That is why many agricultural entrepreneurs prefer this crop. From 1 hectare of land you can get up to 30 centners of crops.

It is possible to master such a business only in the conditions of the village, because it is unprofitable to sow suburban areas with sunflower.

The peculiarity of sunflower lies in uneven ripening: on the field at the same time there are plants with yellowish, green and brown heads. It is important to correctly calculate the time of harvest. If you start too early or too late, the yield will decrease. In the first case, due to the low productivity of immature baskets, in the second, due to the shedding of dry seeds.

The market for the harvest is quite large. There are producers of snacks (fried sunflower seeds, gozinaki), confectionery factories, and plants for the production of vegetable oil. Even with fairly high competition, finding a buyer is quite realistic. And this guarantees a stable profit.

What is required for implementation?

At the start of a business, everything required for work can be rented:

land plot;
agricultural machinery;
warehouse space.

Finding specialists will not be difficult, because at the present time, work in countryside it is almost impossible to find, and the villagers take on any part-time job. It will take six workers to sow two hundred hectares. Before harvesting, it is also worth hiring a watchman.

From the equipment you will need a seeder, a tractor and a truck for transporting fertilizers and seeds. With an average calculation, one hour of rent will cost from 2000 rubles.

Step by step start instructions

First of all, develop a business plan and study the agriculture of the plant. The next steps will be:

Seeds must be carefully freed from impurities and dried. Without this, they can go rancid. Storage of high-oil sunflower is permissible in bulk at a height of not more than one meter, and seed moisture content is not more than eight percent. But it is better to store in bags at a seed moisture content of up to ten percent. The storage room must be cleaned and treated with antiseptics.

Financial calculations

To find out if your sunflower business will be profitable, you need to make careful preliminary calculations.

Starting capital and monthly expenses

It is most profitable to sow an area of 200 hectares. This will require 1.5 tons of seeds. According to the estimates of experienced farmers, 900,000 rubles will be required for the purchase of seed, rent of fields and agricultural equipment, and various top dressings. To this must be added wages employees for the first month - 90,000 rubles. And 10,000 will be spent on paperwork. Total initial capital will amount to 1,000,000 rubles.

Monthly expenses will include salaries, equipment rental, contingencies. On average - 200,000 rubles.

How much can you earn and payback periods

You can recoup the investment in the first season, five months after sowing. If you manage to sell the entire crop, the income will be at least 3,000,000 rubles.

The profitability of sunflower cultivation is 300 percent!

If you subtract monthly expenses and initial investments, the net profit for the season will be 1,200,000 rubles.

Advantages of agribusiness and possible risks

The effectiveness and profitability of agribusiness lies in the fact that from 5-10 kilograms of seeds for sowing, you can harvest 25 centners of crops on a field of 1 hectare.

What are the pros and cons of this type of entrepreneurship should be taken into account by those who want to engage in it:

An agrotechnical enterprise can be supplemented with its own workshop for the production of seeds or confectionery, or an oil press.

Outcome

Growing crops such as sunflowers and then selling seeds is a highly profitable agribusiness with a fairly quick payback period.

Agricultural activity rarely attracts businessmen. Growing sunflowers is not difficult, especially if you start doing such an activity in a region suitable for climate. High profitability business attracts businessmen. Good organized business can bring 200 or 300 percent profit. High rates can be achieved in areas favorable for growing a flower.

Sunflower business products

The product of sunflower cultivation is its seeds. Many other products necessary for a person are made from them:

You can eat peeled sunflower seeds;
Production of sunflower oil - an indispensable product found in every kitchen;
Production of margarine - an analogue of butter;
Production of useful sweets: halva, gozinaki and sweets;
The seeds are used by the confectionery industry for the production and decoration of products.

Until recently, nothing was known about such a product as sunflower; it came to us from North America only under Peter the Great.

Sunflower varieties - which one to choose for business?

To effectively grow sunflower for sale, the farmer will have to choose the most suitable variety for his region:

Spring. The most commonly sown sunflower variety in Russia. Plants of this variety have the shortest vegetative period, lasting only 83 days. This variety is well suited for the production of oil, this is facilitated by a high (55) percentage of its content. Up to 30 centners of crops can be harvested from one hectare even under adverse weather conditions.
Gourmand. This variety was bred relatively recently, but has already managed to gain popularity. This was facilitated by high yields. At least 35 centners are collected from one hectare. The seeds of this variety are distinguished by a large regular shape, thanks to which they won the love of confectioners who use them to decorate their products. Plants cope well with possible diseases.
Yenisei. The plant is disease resistant and matures quickly. Only 90 days pass from planting to harvest. The variety gives large seeds, gives up to 4 kernels when crushed. But the plants of this variety have low indicators: the percentage of oil content is only 46, and it is not always possible to harvest more than 24 centners of the crop from one hectare.

The main genetic disadvantage of each of the sunflower species is its heterogeneity. Seeds ripen for about 2 months, during the harvest period some plants are already fully ripe, while other x brothers are just beginning to bloom. It can be very expensive to clean the fields several times a season, so unripe seeds have to be dried additionally.

Another feature of the plant is its phenotypic heterogeneity. The germination of plants, their flowering and maturation are heterogeneous, all flowers will have different heights, sizes of baskets, their slopes. For this reason, cleaning will be very complicated.

You can deal with these problems using hybrids. Such varieties have a number of advantages:

Less soil depletion;
Rapid maturation;
Practically not susceptible to disease;
All seeds will be the same size;
Simultaneous maturation of all plant specimens.

Hybrid seeds are much more expensive than simple varieties, so farmers very often prefer them, but when harvesting "thrifty" farmers, unexpected costs will await:

Due to the heterogeneity of the harvest, equipment wears out much faster and will soon require costly repairs or replacements;
When harvesting, a third of the crop is lost;
It is not always possible to effectively dry the seeds.

Choosing a site for growing sunflower

The main feature of sunflower cultivation is the need to constantly change the places where the flower grows. This is due to the unique feature of the plant - it "sucks" all the useful substances from the soil, completely depleting it and turning the once fertile soil into a lifeless land in just a season.

To combat this disease of the soil, experts recommend constantly changing the places where the flower grows and letting the earth rest for at least a couple of seasons.

Sowing and growing sunflowers

Sowing work begins with the purchase of seeds. On a plot of one hectare, about 5 kilograms of quality seeds will be required. One kilogram costs about 200 rubles, so the purchase of seed for the site will cost 1000 rubles.

After purchase required amount seeds should prepare the soil on the site:

In autumn, the land is plowed with a tractor. Equipment does not have to be owned, rent of agricultural machines is now common.
In the spring, after the snow melts and the soil warms up, the site must be harrowed and cultivated.
After the climate stabilizes above 10 degrees Celsius and warm weather is established, seeds are planted. To create ideal growing conditions, sunflower seeds are placed in the soil by 8 - 10 cm. In this case, seedlings will appear as quickly as possible.
Uniform maturation of seeds is ensured by the simultaneous planting of all seeds on the same day.

It is important to monitor the absence of weeds near fields with sunflowers. To combat excess plants, the space between the rows of sunflowers must be periodically weeded to remove excess sprouts.

Sunflower harvest

Harvesting begins when most of the plants turn brown. The collection begins when only 10% yellow remains on the field. The rest of it should be dry.

All harvesting work must be done in less than a week. In this case, the losses will be minimal. They will make up about 5% of the total harvest. To reduce losses, it is necessary to take care of timely harvesting. best time for collection is a sunny dry day with humidity up to 20%.

Agricultural machinery is used for harvesting. Behind the combine should not be more than 3% of the crop.

To increase harvesting efficiency and prevent crop losses, it is recommended to stop the machines every three hours for inspection. They must do their job effectively:

Separation;
Threshing;
grain cleaning;
Harvest accumulation.

Sales of products

To sell products, the farmer must conclude agreements with confectioners, points of sale and butter factories. It is recommended to do this without waiting for the maturation of the plants. To protect against unexpected crop losses and non-fulfillment of contracts, they can be concluded for a crop volume less than expected. Unsold products can be left for personal purposes or retail.

Storage of unsold products

Seeds immediately after collection do not tolerate storage, undergo changes and rot. High humidity and contamination negatively affect the shelf life of this product.

The temperature of the seed rises to 25 degrees Celsius. At the same time, flowability, smell, taste, gloss, color and germination do not change.
The temperature is already rising to 40 degrees. Microorganisms develop rapidly on seeds. The smell becomes musty, the taste becomes bitter, the shine is lost, and the seeds themselves are covered with mold fungi. Even the color of the nuclei changes. At this stage, the seeds are no longer suitable for further use. The mound of seeds is strongly compacted, the oil is characterized by an increase in acidity. At the same time, the germination of seeds decreases markedly.
In the third stage, the temperature reaches 55 degrees. At this point, already thermophilic bacteria are actively developing. Unpleasant tastes and odors are aggravated, the seed coat begins to darken, and the shine disappears. The acidity of the oil becomes critical, the seeds are no longer suitable for human consumption by 85%. Their germination is completely reduced to zero.
In the fourth stage, the seeds continue to increase their temperature. This stage is characterized by one hundred percent defectiveness of seeds.

Long-term storage will be effective only if seeds with a low contamination of up to 2% are selected for it. They should be dried to 5 - 7% moisture. For efficient storage, they are cooled to low, but positive temperatures.

Subject to these rules, sunflower seeds can be stored for up to 6 months.

Profitability of business on sunflowers

The profitability of a business depends on the combination of income and expenses. To process one hectare, you will need the following equipment:

Pre-sowing treatment will cost 3000 rubles.
Pest control - another 1200.
Cleaning costs 2000.
Fuel costs will be approximately 1000 rubles.

The income will be 40,000 rubles per ton. About 2.5 tons of crops can be harvested from one hectare, taking into account losses. It turns out an income of 100,000 - 7200 \u003d 92,800 rubles per hectare.

Video about sunflower cultivation:

Sunflower seeds are used for the production of vegetable oil, in the confectionery industry (halva, gozinaki, as a filler for sweets, in the preparation of cakes). From 1 hectare of sunflower crops, you can get 3 centners of vegetable oil. The processing of sunflower seeds, in addition to oil, produces other products that are well used for animal feed as feed additives, these are meal (extraction method - 35%) and cake (press method - 33%). To date, of the total number of feed additives, they make up at least 85% produced in Russia.

Plan . sunflower cultivation is one of the most profitable ways to make money. Profitability for many agricultural organizations reaches 200%, and for some - above 300% (in the Oryol and Krasnodar regions).

Sunflower is a spring crop. The growing cycle begins in spring and ends in autumn, lasting only 90-120 days.

Sunflower is best grown in sunny areas, it does not like clay, heavy soil, it grows well in the area where winter rye was grown before it. The site should be prepared in the fall - dug up to a depth of 20 cm and filled with rotted manure - 1-2 buckets per 1 sq. m. Sunflower should be sown when the ground at a seeding depth (7-10 cm) warms up to 10 ° C. Sunflower care is simple: weeding, loosening and watering. In dry years, sunflowers need three waterings: three weeks before flowering, when plants grow very quickly; at the very beginning of flowering; 10 days after mass flowering. You can start harvesting sunflowers, as a rule, 35-40 days after flowering, cutting off the heads with a sickle or knife. Seeds with moisture up to 12% can be left for sowing next year.

The most early-ripening variety is ESAUL (undersized, yield - up to 25 kg of seeds per hundred square meters), ripening already 70 days after germination. Usually used for the production of oil varieties with a later maturation period - up to 100 days.
Intensive cultivation technology will help to obtain a sunflower yield of up to 20 or more centners per 1 ha with an oil content of seeds up to 50%.

For sowing on an area of up to 3 hectares, up to 25 kg of seeds will be required. Sowing seeds on such an area can be carried out by two people in 2-3 days. If it is possible to allocate a large area for sunflower cultivation - 100-200 hectares - you will need special agricultural equipment (tractor, seeder) and about 1.5 tons of seeds.

According to manufacturers, taking into account all the costs of fertilizers, equipment, purchase of seeds, payment for harvesting and seed processing (up to 2,500 rubles per 1 ha), with a yield of up to 20 centners per 1 ha, you can get net profit up to 10 thousand rubles, while the profitability reaches about 270%. Thus, growing sunflower even on an area of up to 100 hectares, you can make a profit of up to 900 thousand rubles.

With 1 kg of roasted seeds, selling them in cups, you will receive up to 70-80 rubles of profit. Your income will directly depend on the area that you can allocate for sunflower cultivation.

Recommendations. To begin with, you can start growing sunflower in a small area, gradually expanding the plantations. This is a less expensive, but more time-consuming method. In this case, it is better to grow early-ripening varieties with a yield of up to 25 kg of seeds per hundred square meters, and organize the sale of roasted seeds.

At large areas it is not necessary to immediately purchase the necessary equipment, you can always agree to rent it from large farms. In addition, when cultivating sunflower in large volumes, it makes sense to simultaneously produce vegetable oil and process cake for livestock feed. All equipment can be purchased gradually with the arrival Money(See idea "Vegetable oil production").

Hand over grown sunflower to processing enterprises (vegetable oil producers), sell through outlets markets, shops.

Initial costs: 18 thousand rubles (for 10 hectares).
Income: 100-150 thousand rubles (when sold fried).

Growing Plants - Ideas

According to the results of 2017, the average sunflower yield in the country decreased by 3% compared to 2016 and amounted to 15.7 q/ha.

The maximum crop yield was achieved in the Bryansk region (experimental varieties) and in 2017 is 34.9 q/ha. The maximum yield for regions with a significant land bank allocated for sunflower cultivation, as a year earlier, was recorded in the Krasnodar Territory.

The negative dynamics of crop yields across the country is primarily due to the introduction of sunflower into crop rotation in regions with a lower climatic potential: in 2017, sunflower sown areas in the Orenburg region, as well as in the regions of central Russia (Kursk, Lipetsk regions).

The increase in sown areas in regions with less potential, as well as an insignificant level of introduction of zoned crop varieties, was supplemented by a decrease in yields in key producing regions: in the Rostov region, the yield of sunflower decreased by 5.4% to 21.1 c/ha, in the Volgograd region - by 11.9% to 13.3 c/ha, in the Samara region - by 7.9% to 12.8 c/ha.

At the same time, an increase in sunflower yield in 2017 was recorded for the Krasnodar Territory (by 1.1% to 26.4 c/ha), the Orenburg Region (+5% to 10.4 c/ha) and the Altai Territory (+4, 8% to 10.9 c/ha).

Agricultural map of Russia

All about sunflower cultivation

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FEATURES OF SUNFLOWER BIOLOGY

MORPHOLOGY OF THE SUNFLOWER

Sunflower belongs to the extensive polymorphic genus Non-lianthus of the aster family - Asteraceae (according to the old taxonomy - Compositae).

Sunflower is an annual plant with an upright, coarse stem covered with hard hairs, from 0.6 to

2.5 m and a powerful tap root system that penetrates the soil to a depth of 2-3 m.

Sunflower leaves are simple, petiolate, without stipules, rough, covered with short stiff hairs.

The stomata in the epidermis of the leaf are arranged randomly, their slits are directed in different directions. There are 1.5-2 times more of them on the underside of the leaf than on the top.

The arrangement on the stem of the first true leaves (two pairs) is opposite, the rest are spiral. The number of leaves, even within the same variety, is variable.

It depends on many factors, including the characteristics of agricultural technology. For example, in the variety VNIIMK 8931, the plants improved at early sowing had 28 leaves, at late sowing - 31 leaves. The average number of leaves under different conditions is 28-32 for mid-ripening varieties, and 24-28 for early-ripening and early-ripening ones.

The total leaf surface of one plant (with a density of 40 thousand / ha), as a rule, is: in the conditions of the Kuban - 5-10 thousand cm2, Ukraine - 3-7 thousand, the Volga region - 3-6 thousand cm2.

Sunflower inflorescence is a multi-flowered basket (Fig. 1), consisting of a large receptacle in which flowers are located;

along the edges is surrounded by a wrapper of several rows of leaves. Reed flowers are asexual, consisting of a large bright yellow corolla and a lower ovary.

The tubular flowers have a calyx, a corolla of a five-type corolla, yellow in color, five stamens, one pistil with a lower one-celled ovary and a two-lobed stigma (Fig.

Rice. 1. The structure of the sunflower basket:
1 - tubular flowers; 2 - reed flowers; 3 - wrapper leaves

2. Sunflower flowers:
1 - tubular bisexual flower; 2 - pistil with anthers; 3 - pistil with a bilobed stigma; 4 - anthers; 5 - reed asexual flower

Sunflower fruit - achene. It consists of a fruit shell (pericarp, husk) and the actual seed (kernel).

The fruit shell contains a phytomelan (shell) layer that protects the achene from damage by caterpillars of the sunflower moth (moth). This feature was used in sunflower breeding when creating armored varieties, which solved the most acute problem of protecting the crop from the most dangerous pest - the sunflower moth.

The sunflower seed (kernel) is an embryo covered with a thin seed coat, consisting of two cotyledons and the kidney, hypocotyl and germinal root located between them.

The root of the embryo is located at the narrow end of the seed. The main reserves of nutrients (oil, protein) are concentrated in the cotyledons.

The sunflower has a tap root system. The main root is formed from the germinal root of the seed and grows intensively in a vertical downward direction.

On the main root, lateral roots are formed, which first grow horizontally and then vertically down.

Lateral roots, like the main one, are covered with a dense network of smaller roots penetrating a large volume of soil.

A large number of roots, branching, are concentrated in the upper soil layer. When this layer dries up, they are inactive, partially die off, and when it rains, they resume growth, form a new network of small white roots that are actively functioning. These roots play an important role in the life of a sunflower, especially considering that even with relatively little rainfall, moisture, rolling down from the leaves along the stem, significantly moistens the soil layer near the plant.

By the phase of basket formation, sunflower roots penetrate to a depth of up to 1.5 m, by the flowering phase - up to 2 m.

Then their growth slows down, but does not stop until the end of the growing season. In the experiments of 3. B. Borisonik (1985) in the conditions of the Dnepropetrovsk region, when sunflower baskets were formed, when the plant height reached 50-65 cm, the roots deepened to 1.4-1.6 m, during the flowering period, respectively, to 1.4- 1.6 and 1.8-2 m.

By the end of the growing season, the roots reached a depth of 2.2-2.4 m.

The nature of the distribution of the root system in depth depends on many factors, but especially on soil moisture. In dry years, compared with wet years, less roots are formed in the arable layer, in wet years, more in relation to their total mass (Table 3).

1. Distribution of the sunflower root system in the soil, % of the total mass (according to A.

Ya. Maksimova, B. A. Chizhov)

Similar data were obtained in the Ukraine, in the experimental farm of the All-Union Research Institute of Maize.

In a wet year, in a layer of 0-20 cm, sunflower formed 64.3% of the roots of the entire root mass, and in a dry year - 45.2%.

The depth of penetration, the speed and nature of the distribution of sunflower roots are determined by the distribution of moisture and nutrients in the soil. So, on the chestnut soils of the Saratov Trans-Volga region, in the absence of available moisture below 60 cm, the roots penetrated only to this depth, while deeper layers were provided with moisture - up to 1.5-2 m.

In dry years, the radius of distribution of lateral roots in the arable layer decreases, in wet years it increases. The distribution of roots away from the main root also depends on the location of the opposite roots of neighboring plants, the density of standing and the shape of the feeding area, the depth and width of inter-row cultivations.

Possessing a powerful, well-developed and active root system, sunflower uses moisture and nutrients from a large volume of soil, which is not available to many other cultivated plants.

Influence of fertilizers on the yield of sunflower hybrids on the southern chernozems of the Volgograd region

G. A. Medvedev, Doctor of Agricultural Sciences n., professor
N. G. Ekaterinicheva, Ph.

e. PhD, Associate Professor
A. O. Dubovchenko, undergraduate
(Volgograd State Agrarian University)

Sunflower in the Volgograd region is the main oilseed crop. The region's economies annually allocate 600-700 thousand hectares for this crop. However, its average yield fluctuates greatly from year to year and still remains very low, and the average for the region rarely exceeds 1.5 t/ha.

An important reserve for increasing the yield of sunflower, along with the introduction of new highly productive hybrids, is the improvement of the fertilizer system.

This was the main goal of our research.

Field experiments were carried out in the KFH "Dubovchenko O. I." Yelansky district of the Volgograd region. The object of research in field experiments were 2 hybrids: Signal and Tunka. The predecessor is winter wheat. The placement of variants in the experiments is systematic, the accounting area of the plot is 500 m2, the seeding rate is 60 thousand seeds.

germinating seeds per hectare, 3-fold repetition. The scheme of experience included the following options:

factor A - sunflower hybrids Signal and Tunka.
factor B - fertilizers: used control, N60P60 for pre-sowing cultivation.

Agricultural technology in experience

In autumn, after harvesting winter wheat, disc stubble plowing was carried out to a depth of 0.06-0.08 m.

After the emergence of weeds, moldboard plowing was carried out to a depth of 0.25–0.27 m. In the spring, when the soil was physically ripe, cover harrowing and cultivation were carried out to 0.10–0.12 m. 06-0.08 m), cultivators in aggregate with harrows. Fertilizers at a dose of N60P60 were applied in the spring for the first cultivation.

Before sowing, sunflower seeds were encrusted with the Cruiser preparation at a rate of 8 l/t of seeds. Sowing was carried out in a dotted way with a row spacing of 0.70 m, with a Vesta seeder.

Observations of the growth and development of sunflower hybrids showed that the effect of the studied factors in the initial phases is insignificant (Table 1).

From the data in Table 1 it can be seen that the field germination in the years of the study was quite high.

The difference in the experimental options was insignificant. The difference in the survival of plants before harvesting was more significant. On the fertilized variants for harvesting, on average, over two years, from 92.6 to 96.4% of plants from sprouts survived, and on the control - only from 88.9 to 90.9%. Higher plant survival rates were noted in the Tunka hybrid.

It should be noted that mineral fertilizers had a positive effect on reducing the number of plants infected with broomrape (Table 2).

Analyzing the data in Table 2, it should be noted that, on average, over the years of observations, the Signal hybrid was affected by broomrape twice as often as Tunka.

Fertilizers had practically no effect on the infestation of plants.

As for the contamination of crops with weeds, there was practically no difference in hybrids. The fertilized variants were somewhat more weedy than the control, but the number of weeds did not exceed the economic threshold of harmfulness.

The studied factors had a significant impact on the yield structure of the hybrids included in the experiment (Table 3).

The data in Table 3 show that the basket diameter of the Signal hybrid was 2.3 cm larger than that of the Tunka hybrid in the control, and 2.2 cm in the fertilized variant.

However, in terms of the mass of seeds from the basket, the advantage was on the side of the Tunka hybrid. The difference between the control variants for hybrids was 5.4 g or 12.4%. Between the fertilized variants, the difference was even greater - 8.5 g.

or 17.1%. The weight of 1000 achenes was also the largest in the Tunka hybrid - 66.4-70.3 g versus 58.6-60.0 g in the Signal hybrid. In the fertilized variants, all elements of the crop structure were significantly higher than in the control.

All this affected the value of economic productivity (table 4).

NSR05 total - 0.17 0.21.

Analyzing the yield data, it can be noted that, on average, over the years of observations, the most productive hybrid was Tunka.

The advantage of this hybrid over the Signal hybrid was 0.35 t/ha or 18.1% on the control, and even more on the fertilized variant - 0.58 t/ha or 25.3%. The application of mineral fertilizers turned out to be the most effective on the Tunka hybrid.

Here, the advantage over the control was 0.59 t/ha or 25.8%. Hybrid The signal for fertilization reacted weaker - 0.36 t/ha or 18.6%.

The advantage of the Tunka hybrid with the use of mineral fertilizers has been confirmed and economic indicators. In this option, the highest profit was obtained, which amounted to 47,782 rubles/ha, which is significantly higher than in other options.

In the control variant, the Signal hybrid had a net profit of only 31,922 rubles, and the Tunka hybrid - 38,922 rubles/ha. The level of profitability on the best option turned out to be quite high and reached 336%.

This process is quite complicated, time-consuming and responsible, because it is necessary to collect seeds in such a way that labor and financial costs are minimal, and at the same time favorable conditions are created for growing the following crops after sunflower.

Terms and duration of sunflower harvesting

In the industrial cultivation of sunflower in order to obtain a high yield of seeds, attention should be paid not only to the observance of agricultural technology, sunflower harvesting is also of great importance.

Of course, losses during harvesting of sunflowers cannot be avoided - losses alone behind combines reach 3 c/ha. This includes direct quantitative losses and indirect losses that were caused by deterioration in seed quality as a result of mechanical damage.

The most significant are direct losses: in the form of baskets of cut or not cut and free seeds remaining behind the header, as well as seeds lost behind the thresher. In addition, direct losses include a decrease in crop volumes due to self-threshing and self-shedding of heads due to prolonged or late harvesting periods. The longer the terms of sunflower harvesting are delayed, the more all types of direct losses increase, so it is so important to start harvesting on time.

Video about sunflower harvesting

The most effective is the harvesting of sunflowers, which is carried out during the period of full ripeness of plants, that is, when the leaves and baskets of the main part of the sunflower in the field dry out, acquiring a brown color. At this time, the accumulation of oil in the seeds just ends, the kernel becomes hard, and the seeds themselves acquire a color characteristic of the sunflower variety. It is advisable to start harvesting when no more than 15% of sunflowers with yellow heads remain on the field.

The longer the terms of sunflower harvesting are delayed, the more all types of direct losses increase.

However, the maturation of sunflower does not always go smoothly - in areas of humid forest-steppe, the ripening phase often occurs in unfavorable weather, as a result, the seeds do not have time to dry on the vine, and the humidity of the harvested seeds reaches 25%. In such cases, to accelerate the ripening of seeds, sunflower fields in dry weather are sprayed with desiccants, due to which:

plants finish the growing season faster and ripen at the same time;
harvesting starts a week earlier;
sunflower yield increases significantly;
the seeds are of better quality, their moisture content is not more than 9%;
oil yield from one hectare increases;
the productivity of combines increases, and energy costs are reduced.

Ideally, the moisture content of the collected seeds should be about 7%, then they can be stored for as long as possible. If you store seeds with high humidity, oxidation will occur, and the oil will become unsuitable for human consumption.

The optimal duration of harvesting is up to six days

It is extremely undesirable to delay the harvesting of sunflower, since by the fifth day the losses from shedding of seeds double or triple. The optimal duration of harvesting work is up to six days.

What sunflower yield can be expected?

Many different factors affect sunflower yields, from weather conditions to farming practices. In rare cases, it is possible to collect more than 30 centners per hectare, the average sunflower yield per 1 hectare is within 10 centners, and the maximum recorded figure is 45 centners per hectare.

Many different factors affect sunflower yields, from weather conditions to farming practices.

During the experiments of VNIIMK, it was revealed that the yield of sunflowers increases to 22.8% when it is placed in the fields after winter wheat, and when sunflower is grown after sugar beet, this figure drops to 14.2%. The largest decrease in yield (up to 10.1 c/ha) was noted as a result of sowing sunflower in terms of formation turnover perennial herbs, since they have the property of greatly drying out the deep layers of the soil.

Sunflower harvesting equipment

Sunflower harvesting is carried out with the help of combine harvesters equipped with choppers, which crush and scatter unwanted stalks across the field, and those stalks that remain on the vine are cut with disc harrows. A special device for sunflower harvesting is also used, which cuts the heads and threshes the seeds.

Video about black gold or sunflower harvesting

The stems remaining on the field can be cut not only with disc stubblers, but also with headers, with subsequent removal of plant waste from the field. A modern sunflower harvester can be used in all areas of sunflower cultivation, with any sowing method and under any weather conditions (even with snow or frost). Permissible moisture content of seeds is from 12% to 20%.

After harvesting, sunflower seeds are processed at grain cleaning units and stored for storage with a layer of up to one meter at a moisture content not higher than 7%.

Plan. sunflower cultivation is one of the most profitable ways to make money. Profitability for many agricultural organizations reaches 200%, and for some - above 300% (in the Oryol and Krasnodar regions).

Sunflower is a spring crop. The growing cycle begins in spring and ends in autumn, lasting only 90-120 days.

According to manufacturers, taking into account all the costs of fertilizers, equipment, purchase of seeds, payment for harvesting and seed processing (up to 2,500 rubles per 1 ha), with a yield of up to 20 centners per 1 ha, you can get a net profit of up to 10 thousand rubles, profitability at this reaches about 270%. Thus, growing sunflower even on an area of up to 100 hectares, you can make a profit of up to 900 thousand rubles.

With 1 kg of roasted seeds, selling them in cups, you will receive up to 70-80 rubles of profit.

Your income will directly depend on the area that you can allocate for sunflower cultivation.

To begin with, you can start growing sunflower in a small area, gradually expanding the plantations. This is a less expensive, but more time-consuming method. In this case, it is better to grow early-ripening varieties with a yield of up to 25 kg of seeds per hundred square meters, and organize the sale of roasted seeds.

With large areas, it is not necessary to immediately purchase the necessary equipment, you can always agree to rent it from large farms. In addition, when cultivating sunflower in large volumes, it makes sense to simultaneously produce vegetable oil and process cake for livestock feed. All equipment can be purchased gradually with the receipt of funds (see the idea "Vegetable oil production").

Hand over the grown sunflower to processing enterprises (vegetable oil producers), sell it through retail outlets in the markets, to shops.

Initial costs: 18 thousand rubles (for 10 hectares).
Income: 100-150 thousand rubles (when sold fried).

Growing Plants - Ideas

Sunflower cultivation technology

Place in crop rotation.

Sunflower is placed in the tilled field of crop rotation after winter cereals and corn for silage, as well as on fields clean of malicious weeds - after barley, spring wheat, oil flax, etc. Sunflower cannot be sown after sugar beet, alfalfa and Sudanese grass, since these crops strongly and deeply dry up the soil. Rapeseed, peas, soybeans, beans have several common diseases with sunflower (sclerotinia, white rot, gray rot, etc.), so sunflower cannot be sown after them. In crop rotation, it can be returned to its former field no earlier than after 8-10 years to prevent the accumulation of broomrape seeds and pathogens of infectious diseases in the soil.

Fertilizer.

Under plowing, organic, as well as phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are applied, depending on the level of soil fertility. nitrogen fertilizers contribute under presowing cultivation and in the form of dressings. With an excess of nitrogen nutrition, plants become less resistant to drought and disease, and the oil content of seeds decreases.

Soil cultivation.

The main requirement for the main tillage is the complete suppression of perennial weeds, good surface evenness, moisture conservation. In fields that are not littered with perennial weeds, an improved plowing system or semi-fallow cultivation is used.

On fields littered with perennial weeds (thistle, thistle, lettuce, bindweed, etc.), layer-by-layer tillage is used. First, the stubble is peeled to a depth of 6...8 cm with disc tools, after the regrowth of perennial weeds, the soil is cultivated to a depth of 10...12 cm with ploughshares, heavy disc harrows or flat-cutting cultivators. After the re-growth of weeds, the plowing is plowed in September - October to the depth of the arable layer.

In areas prone to wind erosion, a system of flat-cut tillage is used with stubble left on the soil surface: two small tillage, in September - October - loosening to a depth of 20 ... 25 cm. To increase the moisture reserves in the soil, snow retention is carried out in the fields.

In the spring, when the physical ripeness of the soil occurs, harrowing is carried out with the leveling of the fallow and cultivation to a depth of 8 ... 10 cm.

For sowing, seeds of zoned varieties and hybrids are used, large (mass of 1000 seeds is 80 ... 100 g for varieties and at least 50 g for hybrids), the first reproduction, with a germination rate of at least 95%. Modern high-oil varieties and hybrids with a thin skin of achenes differ more high demands to warmth. They should be sown in well-warmed soil when the temperature at the seed sowing depth (8...10 cm) reaches 10...12°C. In this case, the seeds germinate quickly and amicably, their field germination increases, which ensures more uniform development and maturation of plants, and an increase in yield.

The density of plants, depending on the moisture supply, by the beginning of harvesting should be: in humid forest-steppe regions and adjacent steppe regions 40 ... 50 thousand, in semi-arid steppe 30 ... 40 thousand and in arid steppe 20 ... 30 thousand plants per 1 ha. When cultivating sunflower hybrids, they are recommended to be increased by 10…15%, but not more than 55…60 thousand/ha.

Amendments to the seeding rates are set taking into account the field germination of seeds (it is 10 ... 15% lower than the laboratory one), the death of plants during harrowing of crops by seedlings (8 ... 10%) and the natural waste of plants (up to 5%).

Sunflower sowing is carried out in a dotted way with a row spacing of 70 cm.

The normal sowing depth of seeds of varieties is 6 ... 8 cm, in arid conditions 8 ... 10, on heavy soils in a cool and humid spring 5 ... 6 cm. Seeds of small-seeded hybrids in moist soil are sown to a depth of 4 ... 5 cm.

Crop care. Modern technology sunflower cultivation completely eliminates manual weeding. Crop care is carried out mainly by mechanical methods (herbicide-free option), if necessary, herbicides are used, which are applied mainly by the tape method simultaneously with sowing.

After sowing, if it is carried out in loose soil and in dry weather, the soil is rolled with ring-spur rollers. For the destruction of weeds, harrowing is carried out before germination and after germination in combination with the processing of row-spacings by cultivators equipped with weeding and powdering devices. Pre-emergence harrowing is carried out across the rows or diagonally 5-6 days after sowing. Harrowing by seedlings is also carried out with medium tooth harrows when 2 ... 3 pairs of true leaves are formed in sunflower during the daytime, when plant turgor decreases. When using soil herbicides, seedling harrowing is not used.

At the first inter-row cultivation, the cutout width is set to 50 cm, at the second - 45 cm, the processing depth is 6 ... 8 and 8 ... 10 cm, respectively.

Applying soil herbicides in the pre-sowing or pre-emergence period, in combination with agricultural practices, crops can be kept clean. On sunflower crops, the following are used: nitran, treflan, gezagard 50. It is economical to apply herbicides by the tape method simultaneously with sowing. In this case, a strip is processed along a row with a width of 30 ... 35 cm, and the hectare dose of the herbicide is halved.

For cutting guide slots simultaneously with sowing, two slot guides are attached to the additional frame of the seeder, following the track of the caterpillar tractor. The depth of the slot is 25…30 cm. During inter-row cultivation, guide knives mounted on the cultivator frame go along these slots, which keeps it from moving to the sides and, therefore, reduces damage to plants. However, the described technique also has disadvantages: additional energy costs are required, sunflower roots are damaged during cultivation, the soil cracks more and moisture loss increases.

In the fight against empty grains of sunflower, good results are provided by additional pollination of crops with the help of bees (at the rate of 1.5 ... 2.0 families per 1 ha of crops).

Sunflower is affected by the following diseases: white, gray, ashy rot, downy mildew, rust, phomosis. White rot appears throughout the growing season, but more intensely during the maturation of the baskets. Gray rot affects seedlings, stems, flowers, and especially often baskets. Ash rot causes general wilting and drying of the whole plant, brittleness of the stem. Downy mildew infects leaves, stems, baskets. The disease manifests itself when 3-4 pairs of leaves are formed, the plants lag behind in growth, the yield decreases.

Pests cause great damage to sunflowers: wireworms, lingering insects, steppe cricket, meadow moth, aphids, plant bugs.

Measures to protect sunflower from diseases and pests include seed treatment and treatment of plants with chemicals.

Cleaned and sorted sunflower seeds 1.5 ... 2.0 months before sowing (but not later than 2 weeks) are treated with disinfectants: TMTD is used against sulfur rot, sclerotinia, 80% s. n. (2 ... 3 kg / t), against downy mildew - apron, 35% s. (4 kg/t) mixed with microelements (zinc sulfate or manganese sulfate - 0.3…0.5 kg/t). When treating seeds, it is advisable to apply pesticides together with the NaCMC film former (0.2 kg/t).

General sunflower protection measures include the following: compliance with crop rotation, meeting the requirements of seed production, dressing seeds, growing 2 ... 3 varieties or hybrids on the farm that differ in the length of the growing season and resistance to broomrape.

Sunflower is a drought-resistant plant, however, it gives the largest yields when irrigated. Even in the main areas of sunflower cultivation, its need for water is satisfied only by 60%, and in arid regions (Volga region) - by 40%. Plants especially suffer from a lack of moisture in the soil during the periods of formation of baskets and flowering - seed filling. It is at this time that it is advisable to irrigate. Autumn water-recharging (1200...2000 m 3 /ha, the soil is soaked to a depth of 2 m) and early vegetation irrigation of sunflower (along furrows or sprinkling) are of great importance.

Irrigation rate depending on soil moisture varies from 600 to 800 m 3 /ha. Vegetative irrigation should be distributed as follows: the first watering with a lack of moisture at the beginning of the formation of heads (2 ... 3rd pair of leaves), the second - in the phase of formation of heads - the beginning of flowering, the third - at the beginning or at the height of flowering.

Harvest.

The signs by which sunflower ripening is judged include: yellowing of the back side of the basket, wilting and falling off of reed flowers, the color of achenes normal for varieties and hybrids, hardening of the core in them, and drying of most leaves.

According to the moisture content of the seeds and the color of the baskets, three degrees of ripeness are distinguished: yellow, brown and full. With yellow ripeness, the leaves and the back side of the baskets acquire a lemon-yellow color, the moisture content of the seeds is 30 ... 40% (biological ripeness); at brown ripeness, the baskets are dark brown, the moisture content of the seeds is 12 ... 14% (economic ripeness); at full ripeness, the moisture content of seeds is 10 ... 12%, the plants are dry, brittle, the achenes crumble.

For sunflower harvesting, combine harvesters are used, which are equipped with choppers to grind and spread the stems across the field. The stems remaining on the vine are cut with heavy disc harrows.

Growing pumpkin for seed as a business with minimal investment

Pumpkin seeds are gaining more and more popularity among profitable farm crops. Europe has long appreciated the benefits of this product and its abundance of healing, gustatory properties. The business idea of growing pumpkin seeds is suitable for large and small plots of cultivated land. In any case, the profitability remains at a high level. average price 1t. pumpkin seeds in our area is 1000€. Cultivation of some varieties may increase the price of the product (for example, seeds without husks). Pumpkin is an unpretentious plant, its seed material is reliably protected, and the high price is due to the high medicinal and taste properties of the product. The technology of growing pumpkins for seeds does not require large expenses and is within the power of even the smallest farm. If you have a large garden, this business can be organized at home. The demand for pumpkin seeds is growing every year.

Pumpkin seeds were interested all over the world

Pumpkin is an unpretentious plant that is grown all over the world and in all climatic zones. Native Americans started growing pumpkins 3,000 years ago. From America, the seeds were brought to Europe and distributed trade routes around the world. Farmers willingly engaged in the cultivation of the largest vegetable in the world. In the Middle Ages, a small bottle of Styrian pumpkin seed oil was worth the price of a gold ring. Various varieties were bred (more than 200 varieties of pumpkin are known): table and fodder, annual and perennial, medium-fruited, large-fruited and with giant fruits (more than 100 kg titanium variety). The largest pumpkin weighing 922kg. was grown in America for the traditional competition among farmers. The record pumpkin in Japan weighed 458kg. The content of seeds in pumpkin is 1-2% depending on the variety. Pumpkin seeds are in great demand all over the world. They have many healing properties. Various medicines are produced from pumpkin seeds.

Oil squeezed from pumpkin seeds is used in cooking, cosmetology and medicine. Raw and roasted pumpkin seeds are used in cooking and for the prevention of the treatment of many diseases. Pumpkin seeds are actively purchased for retail sale in fried form with or without husks, as a tasty and healthy product with a high content of: zinc, phosphorus, magnesium and vitamins.

The most expensive oil is produced from pumpkin seeds

The main export of pumpkin seeds goes to Austria and other European countries. Local manufacturers can be found via the Internet. Thus, you can sell the crop at a price of 2.8€ per 1kg. In a lean year, the price reaches 4 € per 1 kg. In lean years, traders travel around the villages and buy pumpkin seeds from grandmothers for sale abroad. In Austria, a very popular vegetable oil is made from pumpkin seeds. It is used in cooking for cooking delicacies in restaurants. Also, pumpkin seed oil in Austria has gained popularity in the treatment of many diseases and in cosmetology. Pumpkin seed oil is a powerful antioxidant and is used as a rejuvenating agent. The seed material for this business can be used Austrian. These are mainly naked varieties with a high content of linoleic acid and, accordingly, a lower content of oleic acid. Linoleic acid is more valuable than oleic. Pumpkin seed oil, high in linoleic acid, has a spicy flavor (with nutty notes) and a high price. Its intense taste allows just a few drops to change the taste of the cooked dish. The best pumpkin seed oil in the world was produced in Styria (land in Austria). It even developed its own special variety, Styrian butter gourd (Cucurbita pepo styriaca). Styrian butter gourd seeds are dark green or black in color due to their high chlorophyll content. In Austria, Styrian pumpkin seeds are sold for 15€ per 1kg. Consumption during sowing is 4.5 kg per hectare of seeds of this variety. Pumpkin seed oil is one of the most expensive vegetable oils.

The interest of consumers in pumpkin seeds is growing every year

Medium purchase price pumpkin seeds on the domestic market 1000€ per ton. But first you need to get a harvest. The right variety of plants is the key to the success of any agricultural business. High-yielding seed varieties of pumpkins produce 1.5 tons-2 tons of seeds per hectare (in the presence of irrigated systems, the yield of pumpkin seeds can be more than 2 tons). These varieties include: Bolgarka (Lady's nail), Kherson watermelon, Ukrainian multiple. Seeds of oil-bearing varieties of pumpkins have a higher price, but have a slightly lower yield (600-800 kg per hectare). In our area, the following oily pumpkin varieties are popular, the seeds of which contain a lot of linoleic fatty acid: Muscat Novinka, Polevychka, Valok. But in general, you need to think carefully before choosing a variety. For example, the Bulgarian variety has the most low price seed product. But it gives one of the highest yields. It does not need washing seeds, which also significantly reduces the cost of drying the product. In addition, there are gymnosperm varieties of pumpkins that do not need to be husked, but should be dried delicately. Naturally, pumpkin seeds without husks are easier to interest the buyer and can be sold much more expensive (in retail roasted sunflower seeds without husk 40% more expensive).

There are not many varieties of this type of pumpkin: Golosemyannaya 14, Naked round, Styrian oily. The disadvantages of gymnosperms include: low yields and yields (seeds do not have a protective shell and can quickly rot). To choose the right variety, you need to take into account climatic factors. When choosing cucurbit seed varieties, cost calculations will also help to anticipate the desired profit.

The technology of growing pumpkins for seeds does not require large expenditures

The technology of growing pumpkin seeds requires an investment of small financial resources. Growing pumpkins will incur the following costs:

Plowing and cultivation in soil preparation - 20€ per hectare.
Seed material - 68€ per hectare.
Fertilizers - 47 € per hectare.
Weeding for 2 times 70€ per hectare.
Seed washing 20€ ton. (an important feature of the Bulgarian variety, which does not need washing).
Drying on a drying table with a Bizon heat generator requires no more than 8 € per 1 ton of crop.

As a result, the total costs are 233€. Even in a lean year, a business idea is a very attractive investment. The technology of growing pumpkins for seeds is not complicated, but it has its own characteristics. Soil preparation is standard, but with deep autumn plowing (27-30 cm). Pumpkins need loose, well-draining soil. Under plowing, organic humus (10-15 tons) and mineral fertilizers of the brand - N60, P90, K60 should be applied. In the spring, when the earth at a depth of 10 cm warms up to +12 degrees, sowing should be done according to the scheme indicated in the seed variety. For example, the Bulgarian should be planted with a row spacing of only 0.7 meters, and in the rows it is better to leave the distance the same (scheme 70 X 70 cm.). This scheme requires 7kg/ha. sowing variety Bolgarka. This will allow perpendicular cultivation. Such images often do not even need to be weeded. The appearance of the first gatherings should be expected in the first 7-10 days. Scourges and the first flowers will appear in 20 days. The first ovary begins after 30-40 days, the second 60-70. Full maturation occurs after 120 days. Harvesting with the help of machinery is carried out in 3 stages:

Separation of fruits from plants (manually).
Rolling fruits into rolls (by a tractor with a special blade).
Harvesting pumpkin harvester.

A pumpkin harvester crushes the pumpkin, separating the seeds from the pulp. And the pulp itself scatters right on the field. The use of pulp as a fertilizer increases the fertility of the soil. On small farms productive seeds can be harvested by hand. There is inexpensive stationary equipment for separating seeds from pulp. Low-budget fields with small crops allow harvesting and manual separation of the seeds from the pulp.

When grown, pumpkin plants themselves are not whimsical to care for. Growing pumpkin does not require special knowledge and technology. The seed material is reliably protected by a thick layer of pulp. When leaving, you just need to remember that the pumpkin loves a lot of sun and moisture. This type of plant does not tolerate even mild frosts (favorable temperature environment +28).

Pumpkin seeds have the most useful and healing properties

Pumpkin seeds contain many rare nutrients: zinc, mangy, vitamin K, phosphorus. Pumpkin seeds are recommended for:

It is important to add that decoctions of ground seeds are recommended to be taken to get rid of insomnia.

Pumpkin seed oil is very useful in the treatment of tuberculosis and bile in the stomach. Useful properties for the treatment of pumpkin seeds due to their unique composition with abundant nutrients.

100 grams of pumpkin seeds contain:
Squirrels	24.6 g
Fats	45.9 g
Carbohydrates	13.5 g
Cellulose	4.3 g
Ash	4.9 g
Water	8.4 g
Vitamins:
Vitamin A (beta-carotene)	228 mcg
Vitamin B1 (thiamine)	0.2 mg
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)	0.32 mg
Niacin (vitamin B3 or vitamin PP)	1.7 mg
Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)	0.35 mg
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)	0.23 mg
Folic acid (vitamin B9)	57.5 mcg
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)	1.9 mg
Vitamin E (tocopherol)	10.9 mg
Vitamin K (phylloquinone)	51.4 mcg
Trace elements:
Zinc	7.45 mg
Copper	1.39 mg
Iron	14.96 mg
Manganese	3.01 mcg
Selenium	5.6 mcg
Macronutrients:
Potassium	807 mg
Calcium	43 mg
Magnesium	535 mg
Sodium	18 mg
Phosphorus	1174 mg
Calories:
100 g of the product contains on average about 541 kcal.

Thanks to pumpkin seeds, the body is supplied with a useful element - Arginine (an acid for the formation of nitric oxide).

Arginine is responsible for the functioning of the heart and the state of blood vessels, the restoration of cellular structures and the structure of muscles. Only 40g. seeds contain the daily rate of Arginine. But frequent husking of seeds can harm tooth enamel.

Pumpkin is recommended as the most useful product for a mono-diet

The pumpkin itself contains many useful substances and properties for the human body. It also contains a lot of zinc, vitamin E. Together with pumpkin, we use medicinal and healthy elements such as selenium and manganese. They help to strengthen the immune system of the human body, useful for fighting viruses and microbes. Just like seeds, pumpkin has an abundant amount of trace elements and vitamins. It is ideal for a mono diet (a diet in which only one food is present in the diet). Mono-diet helps to lose weight and cleanse the body as a whole (we are what we eat). Interesting fact, which is five times more carotene (provitamin A) in pumpkin than in carrots. Carotene improves vision, skin elasticity, improves immunity. In addition, the composition of the largest vegetable in the world includes:

all groups of vitamins;
iron;
potassium;
calcium;
phosphorus;
fluorine.

Regular consumption of pumpkin strengthens teeth and gums due to its high fluoride content. A glass of freshly squeezed pumpkin juice lowers blood cholesterol, improves blood circulation, cleanses the liver and removes radioactive elements and toxins from the human body. It is not recommended to use pumpkin in in large numbers in indigestion, because it lies heavily on the stomach and can harm it. Any excess is harmful to nature.