Join the UK's Only Sunflower Marketing Pool
We are now in our second year of offering the UK’s first and only Sunflower Crop Marketing Pool, as interest in this sunshine crop continues to grow. Our goal is to provide growers with an additional low-input option for spring planting. Each year, the UK imports an average of 60,000 tonnes of sunflower seed for the bird food market, and with demand rising—by 25% last year alone—alongside shifting climates, we are proud to offer a new opportunity for growers across the UK.
Seed & Yield
Seed for the sunflower marketing pool will either be ES Bella from Grainseed or LG50268 from Limagrain. ES Bella has a proven track record and is the top-selling ultra early variety in Europe. In UK trials Bella has performed consistently well, with good standing ability, disease resistance and high dry matter yield. LG50268 performed comparably well in our UK trials last year and offers a very good additional choice for growers this season. While there are reports of yield potential reaching 4t/ha for UK grown sunflowers, growers should typically expect yields of 1.6 – 3t/ha.
Picture right: Courtesy of J E Batchelor & Partners, Kent, who yielded over 2 tonnes p/ha. in the United Oilseeds marketing pool last year.
Excellent break crop option
“Fantastic crop for bees & ladybirds. A low input crop with only pre-emergence herbicide, a little nutrition & pre-harvest desiccation needed.”
D R Tagg, Lincolnshire.
Support for Sunflowers
Neil Groom General Manager at Grainseed said: “It’s good to see United Oilseeds providing growers with additional break crop opportunities. We’ve been selling grain sunflower seed for many years and we’ve been watching the potential growing area in the UK increase year on year. Not only is the climate providing opportunities for growing sunflowers further North, but as farming practices evolve, this too supports the case.
United Oilseeds Managing Director James Warner commented: "We're one year into our sunflower marketing pool, and last season brought plenty of successes, along with some valuable lessons. We've gained invaluable insights throughout the process and from a grower's perspective, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. We strongly encourage all growers to give sunflowers a try."
Picture left: Courtesy of Mr & Mrs Tagg of D R Tagg, Lincolnshire, who grew these sunflowers for the United Oilseeds marketing pool last year.
Your Quick Guide to Growing Sunflowers
- Historically sunflowers can be successfully produced south of a line from the Wash to the Bristol Channel but this area has now expanded.
- Grown on any soil type. Optimum pH is 6.5 to 7.5.
- Drilled at a depth of 3 to 5cms from the 10th of April onwards depending on frost and wet conditions but with consistent 7° C soil temperature.
- Sunflowers are sown at 110.000 seeds/hectare to achieve a population of 100,000 plants/ha on a 25 - 45cm row width.
- Sunflowers should not be grown on a closer than 1 in 4 years rotation to prevent disease (such as Sclerotinia) build up in the soil. Do not follow sunflowers with potatoes.
- Sunflowers are a low input crop. Being drilled in April allows weeds such as black-grass to be controlled by a stale seed bed with glyphosate. A pre-emergent herbicide containing pendimethalin (stomp) is used for early weed control but later in the season if weeds germinate they then die as the crop closes in and prevents sunlight getting through.
- Average yields in the UK are between 1 and 2.5 t/ha. with best results usually in hot dry years. A variety such as Bella reaches a height of 150 cms tall and it has good standing power.
- The flower head should be around 10cms across, and the canopy should close over to shut out sunlight.
- Harvest occurs, from mid-September onwards using a normal cereal combine with some adjustments.
- Sunflower seeds dry out fast and can be dried on an air-drying floor down to 15% moisture, before drying with warm air down to 9% moisture.
Download the full guide to growing sunflowers
If your considering trying out sunflowers for the season ahead, we'd recommend downloading our full sunflower growing guide. Put together using industry experts and experienced growers, you'll find all of the information you need to find success with this sunshine crop. If you need any further advice and guidance we'll do our best to help, or put you in touch with other growers that are happy to share their knowledge.
If you'd like a quick overview of the United Oilseeds sunflower marketing pool for the season ahead take a look at the flyer on the link below. This will provide all the details you need to make a decision on whether you think it is time to give this wonderful sunshine crop a go. Our growers that joined the pool last year were pleasently surprised with the final outcomes, with prices achieving well over our expectations!
Once you've had a look at the flyer, feel free to get in touch using the contact details below. You can also discuss this new opportunity with your area manager whos contact details you can find here.
View the flyer
If you'd like to know more, need a seed quote or would like to discuss any element of the United Oilseeds sunflower marketing pool please do get in touch. You can either speak with your area manager or call the team in head office.
We'd love you to join us in this new opportunity.
01380 729200 ~ [email protected]
