Controlling Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) Fertility with Bio-Nutrition

Abstract

Abstract To investigate the effects of certain plant extracts and seaweed on the yield and quality of three sunflower cultivars, as well as their fertility rate. A field experiment was carried out in the Al-Yousifiyah region - Al-Rasheed district, during the spring season of 2022, in one of the fields dominated by the Dabbana Modern Agricultural Equipment factors. A randomized complete block design (RCBD) was utilized in a split-plot with three replications. The main plots included five nutrition treatments (spraying BMstart biostimulants, spraying Alga600 seaweed extract, adding Seek (bamboo plant residue), and spraying Moringa leaf extract, with water as the control treatment), and the sub – plot included three cultivars (Lilo, Ishaqi-2, and Flamy). The results demonstrated the superiority of Alga600 seaweed extract with a weight of 1000 seeds (103.78 g) and the number of seeds per head (2162.73 seeds head−1). Whereas the Moringa leaf extract was superior in terms of head diameter (28.48 cm), fertility rate (96.410%), seed yield (4.980 tons h−1) and oil percentage (45.61%). The Ishaqi-2 cultivar exhibited the highest seed production (5.222 tons h−1), however the Flamy cultivar revealed the highest fertility (96.63%) and oil percentage (43.20%), consequently. we advocate planting the Ishaqi-2 cultivar and implementing moringa leaf extract to boost output by 17%.