Sonnenblumen, die in Thrakien spät gesät werden, leiden unter Trockenheitsstress.

In Thrace, which meets more than half of Turkey’s sunflower production, areas where late planting is done are experiencing plant drought stress. Edirne, Tekirdağ, and Kırklareli are facing drought stress as sunflowers will enter the milk ripening stage due to temperatures above seasonal norms. Prof. Dr. Yalçın Kaya, Head of the Department of Genetics and Bioengineering at Trakya University’s Faculty of Engineering and Director of the Plant Breeding Center, conducted inspections in the sunflower fields. Emphasizing the importance of early planting, Kaya stated that compared to the previous year, winter precipitation was sufficient. He mentioned that one of the most important factors for sunflower yield is early planting, especially in the Edirne region, where sunflowers were planted at the beginning of April. He explained that the plant count per hectare, the number of seeds, and the weight of the seeds are crucial for yield evaluation, and these factors have been satisfactory this year. Last year, there was planting in May, and it was one of the worst seasons in recent years. This year, they planted early, gaining an advantage of about a month. Despite the current warm weather, a rainfall before the holiday provided coolness to the sunflowers, helping them reach the filling level. Kaya highlighted that the flowering period is crucial for determining the number of seeds in the plant. He expressed the importance of another rainfall to achieve a full filling of the seeds. Kaya also pointed out that last year, producers experienced low oil content due to heat stress during the milk ripening stage. He explained that extreme heat during this period can lead to stress in plants, resulting in weak and low-oil seeds. Kaya mentioned that some sunflowers are experiencing heat stress, with shorter plant heights indicating stress. He noted that some fields are struggling with heat stress, while recent rainfall has been vital for other regions.