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The sunflower is an annual plant in the family Asteraceae, with a large flower head (inflorescence). The stem of the flower can grow up to 3 metres tall, with the flower head reaching 30cm in diameter. The term "sunflower" is also used to refer to all plants of the genus Helianthus, many of which are perennial plants.
What is usually called the flower is actually a head (formerly composite flower) of numerous flowers crowded together. The outer flowers are the ray florets and can be yellow, maroon, orange, or other colors. These flowers are sterile. The flowers that fill the circular head inside the ray flowers are called disc florets.
The arrangement of florets within this cluster is typically such that each is separated from the next by approximately the golden angle, producing a pattern of spirals where the number of left spirals and the number of right spirals are successive Fibonacci numbers. Typically, there are 34 spirals in one direction and 55 in the other; on a very large sunflower you may see 89 in one direction and 144 in the other. The disc florets mature into what are normally called "sunflower seeds", actually the fruit (an achene) of the plant, with the true seeds encased in an inedible husk.
Heliotropism
Most flower heads on a field of blooming sunflowers are turned towards the east, where the sun rises each morning. Immature sunflowers in the bud stage exhibit heliotropism and on sunny days track the sun on its journey along the sky from east to west, while at night or at dawn they return to its eastward orientation.
The motion is performed by motor cells in the pulvinus, a flexible segment of the stem just below the bud. The stem stiffens at the end of the bud stage, and when the blooming stage is reached the stem freezes in its eastward direction. Thus, blooming sunflowers are not heliotropic anymore, even though most flower heads are facing the direction where the sun rises.
To grow well, sunflowers need full sun. They grow best in fertile, moist, well-drained soil with a lot of mulch. In commercial planting, seeds are planted 45 cm (1.5') apart and 2.5 cm (1") deep.
Sunflower Products
Sunflower "whole seed" (fruit) is sold as snacks, especially in China, the United States and Europe. It is also sold as food for birds and can be used directly in cooking and salads.
Sunflower oil, extracted from the seeds, is used for cooking (but is less cardiohealthy than olive oil), as a carrier oil and to produce biodiesel, for which it is less expensive than the olive product.
 The cake remaining after the seeds have been processed for oil is used as a livestock feed. Some recently developed cultivars have drooping heads. These cultivars are less attractive to gardeners growing the flowers as ornamental plants, but appeal to farmers, because they reduce bird damage and losses from some plant diseases.
Sunflowers also produce latex and are the subject of experiments to improve their suitability as an alternative crop for producing hypoallergenic rubber.
Sunflower Outlook - Every month the USDA publish their Global Outlook on Sunflowers, which examines supply, use, prices, and trade for Sunflowers, including supply and demand prospects in major importing and exporting countries including Argentina. If you wold like to find out further information with regards to the Sunflower outlook it can be found here: Economic Research Service at the U.S Department Of Agriculture
Sunflowerseed and Products World Supply and Distribution - Thousand Metric Tons
|
Marketing Year |
Oilseed, Sunflowerseed |
Meal, Sunflowerseed |
Oil, Sunflowerseed |
| 2004/05 |
2005/06 |
2006/07 |
2004/05 |
2005/06 |
2006/07 |
2004/05 |
2005/06 |
2006/07 |
| Argentina |
(Mar-Feb) |
3,600 |
3,800 |
4,000 |
1,588 |
1,521 |
1,600 |
1,589 |
1,565 |
1,605 |
| EU-25 |
(Oct-Sep) |
4,188 |
3,724 |
4,080 |
2,278 |
2,313 |
2,438 |
1,619 |
1,640 |
1,640 |
| Russian Federation |
(Sep-Aug) |
4,800 |
6,450 |
6,200 |
1,625 |
1,950 |
1,940 |
1,815 |
2,175 |
2,165 |
| Turkey |
(Sep-Aug) |
650 |
750 |
700 |
443 |
421 |
444 |
494 |
492 |
496 |
| Ukraine |
(Sep-Aug) |
3,050 |
4,700 |
4,200 |
1,220 |
1,780 |
1,640 |
1,190 |
1,725 |
1,635 |
| Other |
|
8,994 |
10,359 |
9,810 |
2,736 |
3,100 |
3,182 |
2,305 |
2,575 |
2,642 |
|
|
|
| World Total |
|
25,282 |
29,783 |
28,990 |
9,890 |
11,085 |
11,244 |
9,012 |
10,172 |
10,183 |
|
|
| Argentina |
(Mar-Feb) |
20 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| EU-25 |
(Oct-Sep) |
692 |
940 |
910 |
1,773 |
1,975 |
1,850 |
887 |
1,050 |
1,100 |
| Russian Federation |
(Sep-Aug) |
10 |
12 |
10 |
37 |
35 |
30 |
134 |
135 |
140 |
| Turkey |
(Sep-Aug) |
529 |
410 |
480 |
301 |
380 |
320 |
152 |
340 |
280 |
| Ukraine |
(Sep-Aug) |
6 |
5 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
| Other |
|
204 |
251 |
252 |
647 |
718 |
741 |
990 |
1,190 |
1,232 |
|
|
|
| World Total |
|
1,461 |
1,620 |
1,657 |
2,758 |
3,108 |
2,941 |
2,165 |
2,715 |
2,752 |
|
|
| Argentina |
(Mar-Feb) |
107 |
110 |
100 |
1,105 |
1,130 |
1,150 |
1,176 |
1,150 |
1,175 |
| EU-25 |
(Oct-Sep) |
109 |
70 |
60 |
5 |
9 |
5 |
119 |
115 |
100 |
| Russian Federation |
(Sep-Aug) |
45 |
450 |
400 |
479 |
700 |
650 |
228 |
425 |
405 |
| Turkey |
(Sep-Aug) |
7 |
9 |
10 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
21 |
110 |
70 |
| Ukraine |
(Sep-Aug) |
12 |
230 |
200 |
860 |
1,000 |
910 |
642 |
1,075 |
1,045 |
| Other |
|
1,265 |
1,196 |
1,267 |
484 |
438 |
432 |
341 |
328 |
342 |
|
|
|
| World Total |
|
1,545 |
2,065 |
2,037 |
2,933 |
3,278 |
3,147 |
2,527 |
3,203 |
3,137 |
|