Sunflowers
The sunflower is the only oilseed native to the northern Great Plains of North America. Sunflowers have been grown commercially in Canada since the early 1940s.
Production has expanded with the development of higher yielding hybrid varieties, new herbicides and improved crop management techniques.
More and more, sunflowers are becoming a viable alternative to grains in the southern parts of the Canadian Prairies.
Canada's sunflowers are grown in southern Manitoba, southwestern Saskatchewan and the irrigated areas of southern Alberta.

Research
Most sunflower research in Canada is done through the private sector. Government researd·1 is conducted at Brooks, Winnipeg and Morden.
The National Sunflower Association of Canada is testing new varieties as well as managing the growth in production and processing.
Research is focused on factors that will increase production of sunflowers in the more northern Canadian agricultural regions.
Dwarf, short-season varieties such as Sunola (TM) are found to be well suited to cooler farming climates.

Production
Sunflowers are very adaptable to the Canadian climate, capable of withstanding drought and wet conditions because of their deep tap root system. production is limited in the northern prairies by the heat unit demands of most varieties. Most sunflowers are harvested in late September and October. Fall frosts are often required to dry down the sunflower heads, which are high in moisture. If an early snowfall occurs sunflowers can still be harvested, usually with no reduction in quality.

Varieties
Most conventional sunflower varieties are hybrids. The two main types grown are:
Oil Sunflowers, which are black in colour and smaller than the Confection Sunflowers; and
Confection Sunflowers, most of which are black or grey in colour with striping. Long, black seeds characterize long type confectionary varieties; round type varieties have shorter and rounder seeds, and are lighter in colour.

Markets
Oil Sunflowers are marketed primarily to the North American birdseed trade. Bulk shipments, as well as cleaned and bagged product, are traded with birdseed buyers and processors, and are commonly referred to as "blacks". Smaller quantities of oil sunflowers are sold for crushing in the U.S.
Confection Sunflowers are sold into domestic and export markets including Belgium, Germany, Holland, Japan, Mexico, the U.S., the Middle East and South America.

Uses
Oil Sunflowers are used by the birdseed and oil rushing industries. The birdseed market for Canadian-grown sunflowers is growing by 100/o annually in North America.

Sunflowers are the top choice for birdfood ingredients. The black oil-type sunflower seed is the favorite of most seed-eating bird. They will search through the offered seeds in a feeder look in all the preferred item, which, in most cases, is the sunflower. Beginning bird feeders see quidc result~ at new fee~s if oil sunflowers are in the trough.
Confection Sunflowers have three main uses:
In shell Use: Large types are processed by roasting, salting and repackaging operations for the snack food human consumption market. Seed sizes greater than 20/64 RHS are classified as large, greater than 22/64 RHS are classified as jumbo.
Kernel Use: Medium-sized seeds are de-hulled and the kernels packaged for sale to the human consumption market. 'Human Edible Kernels" are used primarily by the bakery trade, but are also traded at the confectionary level domestically and for export.
Birdseed Use: Smaller Confection Sunflower seeds arp sold mostly in North American birdseed markets. The product is commonly referred to as "Striped Birdfood".

Nutritional composition of Sunflowers

More and more, nutritionists are devaluing the effects of high fat content in foods and urging consumers to look at the high nutrient value of seeds and nuts. Sunflowers are considered to k one of the healthiest snack foods available.
Sunflowers are an excellent source of protein and the trace mineral selenium, and deliver the following nutrients: