Resposta da cultura do girassol à desfolha

Abstract

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is a dicotyledonous originating in the Americas, which adapts to different environmental conditions and, in recent years, has been presented as rotation option and succession of crops in grain-producing regions due to higher drought tolerance and a lower incidence of pests and diseases and the cycling of nutrients, particularly potassium. Sunflower oil stands out for its excellent nutritional and functional characteristics to the human diet. It has a high ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acids / saturated (65% - 11%) on average, and the polyunsaturated content consists, almost entirely, by the fatty acid linoleic. The artificial defoliation in economically important crops such as soybeans, corn and beans, is a useful methodology to simulate damage occurring in crops such as frequent defoliating pests or rain possible attacks. This methodology allows safely measure as defoliation culture can support at a given developmental stage, quantifying the loss of productivity at different levels of defoliation.