Abstract
Studies were conductesd for two years (2004 and 2005) to access the comparative productivity of sunflower to
nitrogen application in various splits. Nitrogen was applied at 100 Kg ha' as full at sowing, full at 1st irrigation, full
at flowering, Y2 at sowing + Y2 at 1st irrigation, Y2 at sowing + Y2 at flowering, Y2 at 1
st
irrigation + Y2 at flowering, 1/3
at sowing + 1/3 at 1st irrigation + 1/3 at flowering, 1/3 at sowing + 1/3 at 1st irrigation + 1/3 at seed formation and
1/3 at sowing + 1/3 at flowering + 1/3 at seed formation. The highest achene yields of 2446 kg ha' and 2370 kg
ha' were obtained in 2004 and 2005, respectively from plots, where nitrogen was applied in three equal splits at
sowing, at first irrigation and at flowering. The mean crop growth rate (21.52 and 20.95 g m2
day") and mean net
assimilation rate (8.97 and 8.78 g m·2 day") also gave significantly highest values in the same treatment during
both years. All the quality traits were significantly affected with the application of nitrogen in splits and had a
positive correlation with the achene yield except achene oil content (%) and oleic acid (%) in oil
