Other Field Crops: Sunflowers: Introduction

Cultural control of weeds in sunflowers can be used successfully, but only if weeds are also controlled in other crops in the rotation. There are several tillage options in the sunflower crop.

Preplant tillage can control 1 or 2 flushes of early germinating weeds. Plant sunflowers immediately after the last tillage operation.

A rotary hoe set to cultivate shallow can be effective in removing annual weeds that are just emerging. It is not very useful for controlling well-rooted seedlings. Spring tooth harrows can be used to control small weeds when sunflowers are in the 4-6 leaf stages. There will be some damage to sunflowers and larger weeds will not be well controlled.

One or 2 cultivations with a row crop cultivator are the most common form of cultural control. Sunflowers have to be big enough to withstand burial. Lateral roots on sunflowers are shallow, so avoid cultivating too deep or too close to plants.

Sunflower Herbicide Recommendations

• Soil Applied Grass Herbicides
• Postemergence Grass Herbicides
• Harvest-Aid

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Related Links

• Weeds in Ontario
• Flax and sunflowers in Ontario
• Canola and mustard in Ontario
• Problem Weed Control in Field Crops
• Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
• Pesticide Application and Safety
• Pesticide Companies and Agents
• OMAFRA Sprayer Calibration Calculator
• Search the PMRA website
• OMAFRA Publication 505: Ontario Weeds
• OMAFRA Publication 75: Guide To Weed Control

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