These are mostly short-cycle crops belonging to various taxonomic families, typically grown on large areas and marketed for the extraction of oil from their seeds. Their use is exclusively for agroindustrial purposes.
SUNFLOWER
Sunflower cultivation adapts well to different climatic and soil conditions. It tolerates low temperatures well, although high temperatures are required for flowering, fruit set, and ripening. It can grow well even in dryland conditions, provided annual rainfall exceeds 400 mm and is not excessively concentrated in winter. The ideal soil for sunflower cultivation is deep, fertile soil with a pH between 6.5 and 8, although it can thrive in shallow, poor, and slightly acidic soils. It does not tolerate waterlogging well and has a low tolerance to salinity.
RAPESEED
Rapeseed is an annual plant that requires temperate-cool, humid climates with relatively low flowering temperatures and sufficient soil water reserves during this period. Rapeseed is not demanding on soils, although it prefers fertile, deep, and medium-textured soils. It tolerates some acidity or salinity well, but not waterlogging. Very hardy soils or poorly drained soils, and in wet years, are not recommended.
SOYBEAN
Soybeans are not very temperature-sensitive, although as a spring-summer plant, they cannot tolerate frost. The minimum temperature required for their seeds to germinate is around 9°C. Soybeans are not very demanding when it comes to soil, although they prefer fertile, loamy or sandy-loamy, neutral or slightly basic soils, and they thrive in other types of soil. In dry land, they will thrive with rainfall exceeding 300 millimeters during the growing season and will do well in those with rainfall between 200 and 300 millimeters during the same period.
NUTRITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
To determine the amount of nutrients we should apply to our crops, we must know the fertility level or nutritional status of our soil and the nutrient extraction achieved by our crops.
Fertilizer Tips
Taking into account extractions and inputs, we recommend our following products.
(*) In soybean cultivation, as it is a legume, it is necessary to be careful with nitrogen inputs to promote symbiotic nitrofixation with Rhizobium japonicum. To achieve this, a small amount of nitrogen should be added pre-planting, and only if a lack of root nodules is observed, should topdressing be used.
Roots and Tubers
Mostly short-cycle crops, some intensively managed, others extensively, marketed for consumption of their roots and stems, which are high in carbohydrates. At Haf, we recommend these products for fertilizing sunflowers, rapeseed, and soybeans.
