METEOR SL is an early-maturing sunflower hybrid developed by the Turkish seed brand MAY Seed for use in the CLEARFIELD® system. It features high tolerance to imidazolinone-based herbicides, ensuring effective plant-level protection via the SmartOR technology. The hybrid is adapted to the steppe and forest-steppe regions, demonstrating stability and plasticity under various climatic conditions, including dry and hot climates with temperature fluctuations.
METEOR SL plants reach a height of 160–170 cm, with a vegetative period ranging from 92 to 100 days. The hybrid is characterized by high yield potential and high oil content in seeds — from 44% to 52%. The sunflower head has a convex shape and an inclined position, which contributes to lodging resistance and reduces shattering. Recommended planting density varies depending on soil moisture: 50,000–60,000 plants per hectare with sufficient moisture, and 45,000–50,000 with insufficient.
METEOR SL exhibits high resistance to major sunflower diseases, including downy mildew, rust, Phoma, Sclerotinia head and stem rot, grey mold, Alternaria, and dry rot. Additionally, the hybrid shows high tolerance to parasitic weeds and is insensitive to eight races of sunflower rust (A–H). These qualities make it a reliable choice for producing high-quality raw material for the oil processing industry.
