China and Russia. Later on, sunflower emerged as a leading oilseed crop in Russia
and established throughout the Europe (Berglund 2007). Sunflower was a usual
harvest among American Indians all through North America. Certain facts propose
that the plant was developed by American Indians in Arizona and New Mexico
around 3000 BC. Sunflower is being utilized as food and/or an ingredient by the
American Indians even before corn became well-known. Its seeds were used to
beaten into flour to make cakes, mush or bread and sometimes eaten as a snack.
There are evidences of crushing the seed for oil and further utilizing the oil in baking
bread. Sunflower was additionally utilized as a therapeutic harvest and a source of
dye. All through the current Western Europe, the plant became popular essentially as
a decorative, though some therapeutic applications were developed. A milestone was
believed to be achieved when in 1716 an English patent was conceded for pressing
oil from sunflower seeds (Schneiter 1997).
Sunflower turned out to be extremely prevalent as a cultivated plant in the
eighteenth century. By 1769, sunflower cultivation was driven majorly by oil
production. By 1830, industrial manufacture of sunflower oil started. Through
much of these years, sunflower was largely grown as a decorative plant. Until the
early 1900s, it was grown for cattle feed as well. By the early nineteenth century,
more than two million acres of land in Russia was under sunflower production. It
was this time when two major types of sunflower were recognized: oilseed for oil
production and non-oilseed for direct human consumption. The crop entered the US
terrain by the end of the nineteenth century, wherein it was first used as ensilage for
poultry on commercial scale. Around 1926, Missouri Sunflower Growers’ Association began expressing oil from the seeds. The Canadian government began growing
sunflower in 1930. The land under cultivation extended as a result of oil demand;
consequently, the Canadian farmers fabricated a pilot pulverizing plant around 1946
and cultivation spread to various parts of the country. The Canadian government also
certified the Russian variety of sunflower (Peredovik) that gave exceptional returns
and high oil content (about 44%) compared to 28–30% oil content in other varieties
like Arrowhead, Mingren, etc. (Robinson et al. 1967). The year 1966 brought about a
revolutionary change in the US sunflower production as the acreage shifted from
non-oilseed varieties to the commercially significant oilseed sunflower, thus increasing the area under sunflower cultivation in the USA. Hybridization of sunflower in
the mid-1970s provided higher yield and higher oil percent as well as improved
resistance against diseases like the downy mildew, white mold, rust, verticillium wilt
and head rot (McMullen 1985). Another milestone was achieved in the early 1970s
with the formation of the National Sunflower Association (NSA) in the USA.
The successful development of high-oil breeds as well as recent development of
hybrids of sunflower by plant researchers was principally responsible for widespread
global production of the crop. Need for high-quality oil has been the driving force for
these advancements. Sunflower hybrids with valuable attributes such as insect and
disease resistance have been produced that give higher oil content. By the early
1980s, sunflower’s hybrid variety yielding high oleic acid was developed in the USA
and commercialized by the end of the decade. Another variety, the mid-oleic
sunflower, became commercial in the USA in 1998.
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and established throughout the Europe (Berglund 2007). Sunflower was a usual
harvest among American Indians all through North America. Certain facts propose
that the plant was developed by American Indians in Arizona and New Mexico
around 3000 BC. Sunflower is being utilized as food and/or an ingredient by the
American Indians even before corn became well-known. Its seeds were used to
beaten into flour to make cakes, mush or bread and sometimes eaten as a snack.
There are evidences of crushing the seed for oil and further utilizing the oil in baking
bread. Sunflower was additionally utilized as a therapeutic harvest and a source of
dye. All through the current Western Europe, the plant became popular essentially as
a decorative, though some therapeutic applications were developed. A milestone was
believed to be achieved when in 1716 an English patent was conceded for pressing
oil from sunflower seeds (Schneiter 1997).
Sunflower turned out to be extremely prevalent as a cultivated plant in the
eighteenth century. By 1769, sunflower cultivation was driven majorly by oil
production. By 1830, industrial manufacture of sunflower oil started. Through
much of these years, sunflower was largely grown as a decorative plant. Until the
early 1900s, it was grown for cattle feed as well. By the early nineteenth century,
more than two million acres of land in Russia was under sunflower production. It
was this time when two major types of sunflower were recognized: oilseed for oil
production and non-oilseed for direct human consumption. The crop entered the US
terrain by the end of the nineteenth century, wherein it was first used as ensilage for
poultry on commercial scale. Around 1926, Missouri Sunflower Growers’ Association began expressing oil from the seeds. The Canadian government began growing
sunflower in 1930. The land under cultivation extended as a result of oil demand;
consequently, the Canadian farmers fabricated a pilot pulverizing plant around 1946
and cultivation spread to various parts of the country. The Canadian government also
certified the Russian variety of sunflower (Peredovik) that gave exceptional returns
and high oil content (about 44%) compared to 28–30% oil content in other varieties
like Arrowhead, Mingren, etc. (Robinson et al. 1967). The year 1966 brought about a
revolutionary change in the US sunflower production as the acreage shifted from
non-oilseed varieties to the commercially significant oilseed sunflower, thus increasing the area under sunflower cultivation in the USA. Hybridization of sunflower in
the mid-1970s provided higher yield and higher oil percent as well as improved
resistance against diseases like the downy mildew, white mold, rust, verticillium wilt
and head rot (McMullen 1985). Another milestone was achieved in the early 1970s
with the formation of the National Sunflower Association (NSA) in the USA.
The successful development of high-oil breeds as well as recent development of
hybrids of sunflower by plant researchers was principally responsible for widespread
global production of the crop. Need for high-quality oil has been the driving force for
these advancements. Sunflower hybrids with valuable attributes such as insect and
disease resistance have been produced that give higher oil content. By the early
1980s, sunflower’s hybrid variety yielding high oleic acid was developed in the USA
and commercialized by the end of the decade. Another variety, the mid-oleic
sunflower, became commercial in the USA in 1998.
124
S. Khurana and R. Singh