Machete — a mid-season sunflower hybrid developed by Quality Crops from Romania and adapted for cultivation using Clearfield (Euro-Lightning) technology. The vegetative period is approximately 110-115 days, allowing the hybrid to successfully grow in the forest-steppe and steppe zones of Ukraine. Plants reach a height of 150-180 cm, have medium-sized heads slightly leaning downward at full maturity. Seeds are black, medium-sized, with a 1000-seed mass of 65-70 g, containing oil at 49-52%. The Machete hybrid exhibits high resistance to a wide spectrum of diseases and pests, including powdery mildew, fomopsis, fomosis, rust, alternaria, gray and white rot, as well as six species of parasitic plant dodder. Additionally, it shows high resistance to stress factors such as drought (air and soil), lodging, and seed shattering. Thanks to these qualities, the hybrid ensures stable yields with a potential of up to 5 tons per hectare. The cultivation technology for Machete involves the use of imidazolinone herbicides, enabling effective weed control and minimizing labor costs. The recommended optimal plant density at harvest is 45-50 thousand plants per hectare. High oil content and disease resistance make this hybrid an attractive choice for farmers seeking high-quality and stable sunflower yields with minimal effort.
