site.btaBulgarian Sunflower Cultivars Grown Massively in Kazakhstan

Bulgarian sunflower cultivars are becoming increasingly popular abroad and have received positive assessment in Europe and Asia, Agri.bg reported earlier in the outgoing week. Sunflower varieties developed by the Dobrudzha Agricultural Institute (DAI) in General Toshevo are grown in Ukraine and Kazakhstan and are undergoing official tests in Romania.

DAI's relations with Kazakhstan are most dynamic. Tests on the Enigma CLP cultivar have been completed. In 2023, it received formal recognition in two regions of the Central Asian country and will be grown there. "Enigma is expected to be registered in four more regions this year, so it will be grown on larger areas in the Republic of Kazakhstan," DAI's Associate Professor Daniela Valkova said.

The Bulgarian varieties are of a very high standard, which is appreciated by farmers. They have considerable oil content and high yield, are resistant to diseases and adverse weather conditions, and are suitable for the Clearfield weed control technology.

In Bulgaria, however, locally developed cultivars account for just 5% of the sunflower acreage, DAI said. Back in the 1980s and 1990s, their share ranged between 70% and 90% domestically and was considerable internationally.

Nowadays, the work of DAI scientists goes in several directions. They are developing conventional sunflower varieties as well as Clearfield and Express-tolerant cultivars. Their newest project is for the production of seed through time isolation, Valkova said, as quoted by Agri.bg.