YIELD COMPONENTS AFFECTING SEED YIELD AND THEIR RELATIONSHIPS IN SUNFLOWER (HELIANTHUS ANNUUS L.)

Path and correlation analysis were performed to investigate the relationships between seed yield and other important yield components in sunflower during 5 years period in Edirne-Turkiye conditions. To determine the level and forms of these relationships, regression analysis was utilized. Plant height, 1000 seed weight and head diameter were found positively and significantly correlated with sunflower yield. However, earliness of hybrids also played an important role in determining seed yield in sunflower. To get higher yield performance, oil type sunflower hybrids should have higher seed volume, higher oil content, taller plant height, larger heads, and lower husk contents. These hybrids should have also earlier flowering period and shorter physiological maturity duration than 107 days.