YIELD AND OIL CONTENT OF SUNFLOWER (HELIANTHUS ANNUUS L.) AS INFLUENCED BY SPACING AND REDUCED IRRIGATION CONDITION

Availability of water is main factor in sunflower productivity. Planting density also influence the yield of sunflower. An experiment was carried out at postgraduate research area of Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad during autumn 2011 to evaluate the effect of row spacing under reduced irrigation conditions on growth, yield and oil content of sunflower. The experiment was laid-out in RCBD with split plot arrangement having three replications. The size of plot for this experiment was 3m x 5m. This experiment was comprised of two row spacing (60 cm and 75 cm apart) and four irrigation levels (full irrigation, irrigation missed at the beginning of stem elongation, irrigation missed at beginning of flowering, irrigation missed at achene development). Uniform management practices were carried out. Data were taken by standard procedures used for sunflower growth and yield procedures. Statistical analysis was done by ANOVA technique. Treatments’ means were compared using Least Significant Difference test at 5% probability level. The results had shown significant results regarding the yield and yield components of sunflower. Different row spacing and irrigation levels affect almost all the parameters significantly. Various row spacing had significant effect in case of yield components. The maximum results were obtained in case of 75 cm row spacing i.e. 1000-achene weight (47.2 g), achene yield (2.97 t ha-1) and biological yield (10.02 t ha-1). While number of achenes per head was non-significant in case of row spacing. Various irrigation levels differed significantly in case of yield components and maximum mean value i.e. 1000-achene weight (50.5 g), number of achenes per head (643.33), achene yield (3.01 t ha-1) and biological yield (10.19 t ha-1)was observed under the control (full irrigation).?