Evaluation of sunflower cultivars for central Brazil

Abstract

Despite a large availability of areas suitable for sunflower cropping in Central Brazil, few adapted cultivars are available in the market. The objective of this work was to select sunflower cultivars adapted to this important production region. Experimental data from 2000 to 2004 were obtained by the National Sunflower Trials, coordinated by Embrapa Soja. The evaluated traits were grain and oil yields. Two criteria were used for selection of cultivars: i) the general mean obtained from different environments; ii) partitioning of general mean in favorable and unfavorable environments. Partitioning of the general mean allowed to detect the specific environment indicated for each cultivar. For grain yield, the cultivar Helio 251 presented general indication, Milênio and CF 17 could be indicated for favorable environments and ACA 884, ACA 885 and ACA 872 for the unfavorable ones. For oil yield, CF 13, Milênio, DK 4030, Helio 250 and ACA 872 had general indication; AG 966, GH 12, GV 26043, CF 17 and VDH 93 could be indicated for favorable environments, while VDH 488, Helio 251, ACA 884 and ACA 885 for the unfavorable conditions. In 2002, the partition of the general mean was not carried out. In this year, general mean of cultivars Exp 37, AG 962, GV 26048 and AG 967 were overweight the controls for grain yield and the cultivars AG 962, AG 967, GV 26048, AG 972, BRS 191, Guarani were overweight the controls for oil yield.