The Best Genetic Potential On The Market

Corné van der Westhuizen, Agronomist, North West, Pannar Seed.

Pannar’s sunflower hybrids indisputably have the best genetic potential and technology on the South African market. The diverse package includes conventional and Pannar^® brand sunflower hybrids with the Clearfield^® Plus trait.

The sunflower package can be summarised as follow:

• It boasts proven leaders in stability and yield potential
• It maintains an excellent record of performance in the ARC National Trials: last season it produced six of the top ten sunflower hybrids
• It features a complete package of hybrids in conventional or with the Clearfield^® Plus trait, consisting of single-cross or three-way cross hybrids with medium or medium-late growing season lengths
• The hybrids with the Clearfield^® Plus trait compete head-to-head and even better than the conventional stalwarts
• Hybrids with the Clearfield^® Plus trait offer an alternative in weed control and crop rotation
• There is a hybrid package for each production region
• It gives you excellent risk management options to diversify your business

Summary of the ARC 2019/2020 National Trails:

With six hybrids in the top ten, you can be assured that you are planting some of the leading genetics available in the market. This good performance is further demonstrated by the exceptionally high percentage of instances where the hybrids performed better than average (% Above Average, > 100%) in the 21 evaluation trials.

Table 1: ARC National Trials for 2019/2020

Leaders in stability (ARC 2019/2020 National Trials):

In Table 2 the yield probability is indicated as a percentage at the different yield potentials. The green squares indicate sunflower hybrids with an above average yield probability at the specific yield potential level

Table 2: Yield probability (%) at different yield potential levels

Sunflower hybrid recommendations:

A hybrid package is recommended as a strategy to better manage the risk of possible disease and drought stress. It is also recommended to spread the plantings over a period. It is one of the important building blocks of good risk management.

Select proven performers based on perennial data from multiple trials over a large homogeneous area to eliminate variation and to improve the prediction of performance. Yield performance, stability and risk hedging play an important role in hybrid selection and this is complemented by the hybrids' agronomic characteristics and disease risk profiles. Select a package of hybrids with different growth classes to spread the risk and phase new hybrids in slowly. The requirements for a hybrid differ from area to area. In the map, three broad production areas are indicated and used to make hybrid recommendations (Table 3). In the western areas a distinction is made between the sandy soils and slightly heavier soils.

Table 3: Sunflower hybrid recommendations for each production region

North Western Free State (Top soil <10% clay):

In the sandy soils of the North Western Free State and North West, the high potential hybrids PAN 7080 and PAN 7160CLP form the core of the planting package and are complemented with the conventional hybrids PAN 7100, PAN 7170 and PAN 7102CLP, PAN 7156CLP and PAN 7180CLP with Clearfield^® Plus herbicide tolerance.

North West and Limpopo (Top soil >10% clay):

For the North Western and Limpopo production areas, the conventional hybrid PAN 7100 and the Clearfield^® Plus hybrid PAN 7160CLP are recommended as the main planting. PAN 7080 and PAN 7170 as conventional and PAN 7102CLP, PAN 7156CLP and PAN 7180CLP as Clearfield^® Plus hybrids can be used in a package with these leader hybrids respectively according to the planned yield of each field.

Cooler Temperate Production Areas:

In the cooler temperate eastern production area, the two Clearfield^® Plus hybrids, PAN 7102CLP and PAN 7160CLP are recommended as the core of the package. If a conventional hybrid is planted, PAN 7170 is the designated choice together with PAN 7080 and PAN 7100 if planted on time.

For tailor-made cultivar recommendations for your unique requirements, please call your nearest Pannar representative or agronomist or visit www.pannar.com. Alternatively contact Corné van der Westhuizen at corne.vanderwesthuizen@pannar.co.za or 082 570 8240.