Sunflowers could help extend crop rotations and break disease cycle

Sunflowers is one crop that could hold a lot of potential for producers on the prairies. 

Currently, the majority of the acres in the prairies are found in southern Manitoba, with some acres also grown in Saskatchewan and Alberta.

Crops Extension Specialist Sherri Roberts says sunflowers is a crop that can be seeded a little bit later, and is generally harvested into October which can help to spread out the workload.

She notes there were producers in Manitoba that didn't get them seeded until the second week in June, and they still had a really nice growth pattern for the season.

Roberts says sunflowers can access water and nutrients at deeper depths than other plants.

"So some of these areas that have been really dry, they've got the nutrients sitting there in the soil, because the other crops haven't been able to utilize them. You put in a crop of sunflowers and I can guarantee you that they're going to go in they're going to scavenge that water that's there. They're going to scavenge nutrients, and they're going to come up with a really decent crop that's going to be a benefit to your bottom line."