Achene yield and oil quality of diverse sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) hybrids are affected by different irrigation sources

Objectives: Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is a major oilseed crop grown for its edible oil across the globe, including Pakistan. The production of edible oil in Pakistan is less than the required quantity. The scarcity of water resources is one of the major challenges all over the world in sunflower production. The water availability in arid and semi-arid is becoming a limiting factor to meet the food demands of increasing global population. Therefore, this study was aimed at enhancing the production of hybrid sunflower utilizing different water resources i.e., irrigation with canal, tube well and sewage sludge. Methods: A field experiment (2-years) was conducted to evaluate the impact of different irrigation sources on achene yield, oil contents and fatty acid composition of diverse sunflower hybrids viz., ‘ESFH-3391’, ‘ESIH-35’, ‘SHF-80’, ‘AQSHF-3’, ‘FMC-1’, ‘PARSON’ and ‘SINJI’. Results: The result indicated that sunflower hybrids exhibited varied response for plant height, stem diameter, head diameter, 1000-achene weight and achene yield. Among the irrigation sources, canal irrigation proved superior to other water sources in improving 1000-achene weight of hybrid ‘ESFH-3391’ (89.7 g), achene yield of the hybrid ‘AQSHF-3’ (2649 kg ha⁻¹), oil contents and fatty acid profiles. Conclusions: It is concluded that sunflower hybrid ‘AQSHF-3’ produced the highest achene yield with canal water irrigation water and it is recommended to grow in the semi-arid climate of Punjab, Pakistan.