PSH 996: a new sunflower hybrid

摘要

Sunflower, being a spring season crop, can fit well in different cropping systems and can play an important role to promote crop diversification in Punjab. The development of sunflower hybrids and its production technology led to the popularisation ofits cultivation in Punjab state and was adopted by farmers with great enthusiasm in early nineties. The Punjab state witnessed a sharp increase in the area under sunflower from 14,250 ha in 1990-91 to 86,700 ha in 1991 -1992, which further increased upto 1,16,000 ha in the year 1996-97. This later on decreased to 99,000 ha in 1997-98 and showed a declining trend thereafter upto 2001-02 due to marketing problems. During 2010 it was grown on 21900 ha in the state. The productivity during this time period, however increased substantially from 1579 kg/ha in 1990-91 to 1780 kg/ha in the year 2010. This can mainly be attributed to the development and release of high yielding improved hybrids both by public and private sectors and better production and protection technologies to raise the successful crop.