The knowledge of possible changes in sunflower cultivars due to different sowing dates is very important for sunflower cultivation. The objective of this research was to determine the effect of sowing date on some physiological characteristics, dry matter and grain yield of three sunflower cultivars sowed in twelve consecutive sowing dates ranging from January to December, 1989. The study was carried out in a field experiment, in the IAC Experimental Station of Monte Alegre do Sul (Latitude: 22°41’S; Longitude: 46°43’W; Altitude: 777 m), Brazil. The genotypes used were the varieties IAC-Anhandy and VNIIMK 8931, and the hybrid Contisol 621, in a split-plot design with sowing dates and cultivars, with four replications. The evaluations were done at phenostage R5.5, corresponding to 50% of flowering for leaf area index (LAI) and at physiological maturity (R5.9) for the remaining data. There was a significant interaction between sowing date and cultivar for all the studied characteristics, pointing out the importance of the knowledge of cultivar response to different behaviour. The highest total dry matter(TDM) and grain yield(GDM) were observed in the sowing date of January for IAC-Anhandy; June for Contisol 621, and in July for dry matter and August for grain yield in the case of VNIIMK. Contisol 621 presented less dry matter yield but with a better efficiency due to a slightly higher harvest index in comparison with the two populations.
Helianthus annuus L.; cultivar; dry matter; leaf area index; harvest index
