Agri dept advised sunflower cultivation from January

FAISALABAD, Nov 26 (APP):The agriculture experts have advised the farmers to prepare their land
for cultivation of Baharia sunflower crops from January as early sowing
gives bumper yield.

A spokesman of Agriculture (Extension) department said here on Saturday that the time from 1st January to 15th February was most suitable for Baharia cultivation of sunflower crops. Therefore, the growers should immediate start preparation of their lands to commence sunflower cultivation.

“If cultivation of this crop is completed up to mid of February, it gives maximum production, otherwise, quality and quantity of grains is affected and the farmers have to face heavy loss in the yield if its sowing is late from first half of February”, he added. He said that growers of Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Khanewal, Multan, Vehari and Bahawalnagar districts should start sunflower cultivation from 1st January and complete it by 31st January whereas most suitable time for sunflower cultivation in Muzaffar Garh, Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Lodhran, Rajan Pur and Bhakkar is from 10th January to 10th February.

Similarly, the farmers of Faisalabad, Mianwali, Sargodha, Khushab, Jhang, Sahiwal, Okara, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Lahore, Mandi Bahauddin, Kasur, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Narowal, Attock, Rawalpindi, Gujrat and Chakwal district should cultivate sunflower crops from January 25 to February 15, he added.

The spokesman also advised that the growers should cultivate approved sunflower varieties like Hi-sun-33, Hi-sun-39, Agora-4, NK-278, FH-331, DK-4040, G-101 and 64-A-93 because these varieties were not only disease resistant but also give maximum production.