Improving the competitiveness of sunflower crops

Bird attacks on oil and protein crops have become a major concern for producers in recent years. Sunflowers are subject to significant attack, especially during emergence.

Given the impact of this problem, Terres Inovia has taken the initiative to build a network of experts from sunflower-producing countries. It thus relies on the network of the ISA (International Sunflower Association), of which the institute provides the permanent secretariat.

In 2019, Terres Inovia began forging links with French, Argentinian, Italian, Swiss, Uruguayan and American researchers to share an inventory of damage caused by birds and the research actions implemented.

Teo is an action and communication plan to relaunch the action of the sunflower. It is programmed over three years (2020-2022).

Over three campaigns, sunflower recommendations and communications will focus on:

- the agro-economic values ​​of sunflowers and the objective of profitability of the crop;

- technical advice for better monitoring in the service of profitability;

- the innovations from which this species benefits.

In 2020, Inovia lands launched a new Decision Support Tool : Tour de plaine. Through a smartphone application, it provides a global health diagnosis and advice on diseases, plant deficiencies and weeds present on a plot.

The goal is to ccompany each producer on their summer tour of sunflower plots.

After some general information about the plot, the user is invited to observe the plants and weed flora. Numerous photos and descriptions make it easy to identify the symptoms, weeds or cumana orobanche (parasitic plant).

Tour de plaine records the ratings, synthesizes the health diagnosis and issues recommendations for each situation.

For the last three years, mildew attacks have been occurring regularly on sunflower. Although rarely harmful, they have affected some expected resistant varieties, especially in the South-West. The monitoring system managed by Terres Inovia has allowed us to assess the situation on nearly 850 plots visited in 2020, in collaboration with the actors of the Bulletin de Santé du Végétal (BSV) and the seed companies.

In order to better assist producers, Terres Inovia has developed in 2020 a new advice for the 2021 campaign. Based on good agronomic practices and recommendations for diversifying the choice of varieties, it also includes advice on the use of a new seed treatment, for which the technical institute has applied to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food for a derogation so that its use is possible for the 2021 sowing season.