At the other end in the fall, it takes a sustained freeze of 26 degrees to kill sunflowers. And with adaptability, you get durability, Monroe said. And until they bloom, they are as resistant to hail damage as any crop you will find. Monroe said some cotton farmers plant sunflower strips early in the season to act as wind barriers for cotton, which is extremely susceptible to wind damage in the early stages. Monroe said many elevator operations are showing interest in accepting sunflowers.
Sunflowers are on the rise both as confections and oils.
Monroe said sunflower oil was among the healthiest cooking oils. Finally, sunflowers possess a deep tap root, normally three or four feet and as deep as six feet. It also opens up the soil deeper and puts in nutrients when the root decomposes. On the minus side, he said the deep root can cause deep soil moisture problems in a rotation where insufficient moisture has fallen for the winter wheat crop. Another minus, Monroe said, is the head moth.