The effect of dry rot on the commercial qualities of seeds of confectionery sunflower

Confectionery sunflower varieties occupy more and more areas in the Krasnodar region due to its constantly increasing market demand. The best among them is the variety SPK, also used as edible. The sunflower crops are affected by complex of diseases, including dry rot. During three years of research this disease has spread from 50 to 100 % of the areas, and its prevalence has increased by 7 times. Sunflower seeds, affected by dry rot to a great extent, are decreasing the commercial qualities of raw materials. It became necessary to develop protective measures against dry rot on crops of confectionery sunflower. The article presents the results of the VNIIMK’s system of protective measures for crops of confectionery sunflower against dry rot, which allows preserving the productivity and improving the commercial qualities of seeds by reducing the disease prevalence and as a result decreasing the oil acid number.