• Are sunflowers oilseeds?
  • Sunflowers are considered oilseeds. Sunflowers are processed into cooking oil, meal and confectionary products. Distinct varieties are used for oil and for confectionary purposes. Meal is a byproduct of the oil is extraction process and is used primarily as an ingredient in livestock feed rations.
  • Can sunflower seed be used as a biofuel?
  • The high oil content of sunflower seed, often over 40%, makes it an excellent choice for a biofuel crop. Because it is already grown widely for use as food oil, agronomic practices are well established for regions where the sunflower is common in field rotations.
  • Do sunflowers grow well in oil?
  • Sunflowers grown for oil have black hulls, and have three groupings based on their oil profile: traditional, mid-oleic (NuSun), and high oleic (HO). Sunflowers grow best on loamy, silty loam and clay soils with good drainage, but have a lower to medium tolerance to salinity.
  • What percentage of sunflowers are oil based?
  • About 70¨C80 percent of the sunflowers grown in the U.S. each year are the oilseed type. After the vegetable oil is squeezed out of the seeds, the remaining material (seed meal) is normally fed to livestock.
  • Can you grow Sunflowers for commercial use?
  • When growing sunflowers for commercial use, a careful plan for marketing is in order (see the marketing section for more details). The largest market of sunflowers in the U.S. and worldwide is for vegetable oil production. Sunflower seeds are high in oil, typically 40¨C45 percent by weight.
  • Is sunflower oil good for cooking?
  • The largest market of sunflowers in the U.S. and worldwide is for vegetable oil production. Sunflower seeds are high in oil, typically 40¨C45 percent by weight. The oil is considered a superior oil for cooking purposes, whether in commercial kitchens or for home use.