Sunflower Tornado

TORNADO — a mid-season sunflower hybrid of oleic type, intended for cultivation throughout Ukraine and the Central Chernozem region. Plants reach a height of about 165 cm, have a flower head with a diameter of 26 cm, typically oriented downwards, with a flat seed side. Leaves vary from small to medium, green in color with slight puckering and moderate serration. Flowers are yellow, ligulate, oval-shaped, and tubular, also yellow, with no or very weak anthocyanic coloration of the stigma. Seeds are medium-sized, narrowly oval, with a black base color and gray marginal stripes. The TORNADO hybrid is characterized by high yield and good adaptability to various soil-climate conditions. Yield potential reaches 50 centners per hectare, with average yields in some regions around 25.5 centners per hectare, and up to 39.6 centners per hectare under favorable conditions. Seed oil content is approximately 50%, ensuring high oil yield — up to 10.1 centners per hectare. The 1000-seed mass equals 68 grams. The plant does not branch, simplifying care and harvest. TORNADO exhibits good resistance to common sunflower diseases, including Phomopsis, Phomopsis, and gray mold, with a resistance rating of 7 out of 9. The hybrid also demonstrates high drought tolerance and resistance to downy mildew in the range A–E, although in some regions, resistance to certain races of downy mildew is observed. Thanks to these characteristics and stable oil content, the hybrid is widely used in the agricultural sector for oil and other product production.