The sunflower variety Slastena is an early-maturing, large-fruited sunflower created at FGBNU NIISKh "Yugo-Vostoka" and included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements since 2013. Plants of this variety have sturdy stems 135-145 cm high and flat, regular-shaped medium-sized heads. Oil seeds are large, broadly egg-shaped, predominantly black with weakly expressed stripes; the mass of 1000 seeds is 80-120 grams, while hullability is within 21-23%. The vegetative period of this ultra-early variety is about 87 days, allowing harvest in a short time.
The variety is characterized by high resistance to diseases such as downy mildew, local races of rust (A-E), and moth, ensuring crop stability under various climatic conditions. Oil content of seeds is 46-48%, and fat content varies from 44 to 55%, making this variety attractive for oil production. Yield of oilseeds reaches up to 2.3 t/ha, and oil harvest can range from 7.7 to 10.6 c/ha depending on the growing region. Average yield in the Central-Black Earth, Middle-Volga, and Lower-Volga regions ranges from 17.8 to 22.0 c/ha, with individual experimental plots recording figures up to 33.9 c/ha.
The main advantage of the Slastena variety is the size of oilseeds and their easy dehulling, which facilitates the processing technology. The high nutritional value of seeds makes this variety in demand both for industrial oil production and for use in the food industry. The variety is well adapted to the Volga region and other regions, ensuring stable and high yields even in years with unfavorable meteorological conditions.
