Sunflower is one of the most important oil crops in Ethiopia in terms of edible oil and holds significant promise for improvement and development improved varieties.
Is sunflower annuus a plant in Ethiopia?
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is an introduced crop to Ethiopia nearly in 1843 noted as a rich source of edible oil and is a member of the family (Asteraceae Compositae) (Teklewold et al. 1999). The genus, Helianthus comprises of 49 species and 19 subspecies with 12 annual and 37 perennial herbaceous species (Schilling and Heiser 1981).
What oilseeds are used in Ethiopia?
Nine oilseeds namely noug, gomenzer, linseed, soybean, sunflower, castor, sesame, ground nut and cotton are important in Ethiopia for edible oil consumption. During the last 60 years, 156 varieties with their production practices were registered. Sesame contributes significantly to the foreign currency earnings next to coffee.
Can sunflower improve local edible oil production?
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) can contribute a big share in improving local edible oil production due to its short interval, more oil contents, better fitting in the cropping pattern, tolerance to drought and its high yield potential. It is high yielding, non-conventional short duration (90–110 days) crop that can be grown twice a year.
Is sunflower oil a good oil?
Sunflower oil is considered to be of supreme quality as it contains soluble vitamin A, D, E and K (George 2002). Due to its high percentage of linoleic acid which is most desired character and lacked in other oilseeds and is the second most important oilseed crop after soybean worldwide (Peniego et al. 2002).
What is the national production of sunflower seed?
The national area coverage, productivity and production of sunflower are generally very low. Currently, the national productivity of sunflower seed is 11.80 quintal per hectare, area coverage in 6738 ha and national production is 79537.15 quintal (CSA 2017).