What is Oilseed sunflower?
Oilseed sunflower seeds are usually black and thin-hulled; their economic value comes from seed yield and oil content considered together. Confectionery types, by contrast, favour larger, often striped, thick-hulled seeds.
Thanks to its deep roots, sunflower is an oil crop that can draw on water deep in the soil, and it commonly appears in crop rotations alongside cereals.
Why does it matter when choosing seed?
Oilseed and confectionery sunflowers serve different markets. The variety should be chosen according to where the crop will be sold and the growing conditions of the area.
Related terms
Hybrid seed
Hybrid seed is first-generation (F1) seed produced by the controlled crossing of two genetically different parent lines.
Drought tolerance
Drought tolerance is a plant’s ability to maintain growth and yield under water shortage better than other varieties.