• Our Research
    • Research Strategy
    • Research Sites
    • Current Research Projects
    • Research Results
    • Research Collaborations
    • Research Resources
    • Seed Industry Research Centre
    Current Research
    Current Research
    Research Results
    Research Results
  • Resources
    • Biosecurity
    • Crop Action
    • Nutrient Management
    • Maize
    • Templates and Calculators
    • Cereals
    • Weeds
    • Pests
    • Seeds
    • Diseases
    • News
    • Environment
    • Soil
    • Schools
    Podcast
    Podcast
    Environment and Compliance
    Environment and Compliance
  • Levies & Returns
    • Arable Crops Levy
    • Maize Levy
    • Cereal Silage Levy
    • Farmer Annual Return Form
    • Wholesaler Annual Return Form
    Levies
    Levies
    Annual Returns
    Annual Returns
  • Events
  • News
  • About Us
    • Governance and growers
    • Business Strategy
    • Our People
    • Careers
    • Growers Leading Change
    • Women in Arable
    • Arable Ys
    • Arable Kids
    • Arable Research Groups (ARGs)
    • New Zealand Grown Grains
    Our People
    Our People
    Growers Leading Change
    Growers Leading Change
  • Ask FAR AI
  • Weather
  • Log In
Ask FAR AI
Weather
Log In
  • Homepage
  • Resources
  • Hi Oleic Sunflower Option

Hi-oleic sunflower option

Eysz1274

Growing sunflowers to produce hi-oleic oil could provide additional income for arable growers in some regions of New Zealand.

FAR has concluded a three-year project looking at crop options to raise profitability and provide alternative land uses. The project received $90,000 through the Ministry for Primary Industries’ (MPI’s) Sustainable Farming Fund (now superseded by the Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund). High-oleic varieties of sunflowers were identified as a promising crop.

“Our research shows we have the conditions in New Zealand for successful sunflower crops, with yield potential in excess of 4.5 tonnes per hectare,” says Ivan Lawrie, FAR’s General Manager Business Operations.

“What’s more, consumer demand is strong for hi-oleic sunflower oil, which is a top-quality oil with a higher smoke point than regular sunflower oil, and many sought-after health attributes, including low saturated fat content and high monounsaturated fat.”

The project has focused on sunflower agronomy over the past two years, working with Pure Oil NZ, which provides grower contracts and extracts the oil from the seed. The researchers were especially interested in determining how growers can produce a profitable crop in sufficient quantities to meet demand. They trialled two lines of hybrid seeds from France.

“We’ve established that growers need at least 60,000 plants per hectare to have a successful crop,” says Mr Lawrie.

“Growers need reasonably big paddocks to contend with bird damage because unfortunately birds are especially keen on the sunflowers. The project has looked at some of the optical and sonic devices currently available to deter birds, and further work is required in this area.”

Mr Lawrie explains that sunflowers have the advantage of growing at a time of year when there is limited competition from other crops. The plants also require minimal chemicals or fertilisers to grow. “The cost per hectare to grow the crop is reasonably low, and once the plants are established, they’re pretty much self-sufficient until they’re ripe and ready to harvest.

“In addition, as a deep-rooting plant, sunflowers provide good soil aeration and soil conditioning for the next crop in the rotation. Sunflowers have proven to be a good predecessor crop for wheat, for example.”

Nothing goes to waste in the processing of sunflower seeds. “Once you’ve crushed the seed and extracted the oil, the remains are also very good as animal feed products for both the equine and general feed markets.”

Mr Lawrie says proximity to processing plants is key. “Our trials have mostly been conducted in mid and North Canterbury because that’s where the oil crushing plant

is based. But we’re increasingly getting calls from growers in other regions, including the North Island, who are keen to give it a go. However, they’d need to factor in the cost of freight to get their sunflowers processed.”

The high-oleic sunflower oil produced so far by the more than 20 growers involved in the project is used by snack manufacturers to make high quality potato chips. The sunflower oil can also be purchased in its extra virgin form from supermarkets across New Zealand under “The Good Oil” brand.

“The demand is currently domestic but there is potential to create some exports if we get the volumes up,” says Mr Lawrie.

MPI’s Director of Investment Programmes Steve Penno says the project has produced valuable information for New Zealand growers who might be interested in adding a new crop to their growing schedule.

“One of the aims of our Fit for a Better World vision is to create new high value products. With low inputs and easy-care growing needs, sunflowers could be an ideal spring option to complement the oilseed rape currently grown in South Canterbury.

“The more options our growers have to fill the gaps during off-peak growing seasons, the better off they will be.”

Related Resources

09 October 2025

Cereals Update 235: Managing SDHIs for prolonged performance in autumn sown wheat

This Arable Update outlines practical strategies for using SDHIs effectively in the field while protecting their long-term efficacy.

Read more
09 October 2025

Cereals update 234: Managing Septoria: Latest results on SDHI performance

This Update outlines the latest results on how Zymoseptoria tritici (Zt), the fungus that causes Septoria tritici blotch (STB), is responding to succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor (SDHI - Group 3) fungicides in New Zealand wheat crops.

Read more
09 October 2025

Cereals update 233: Managing triazoles for prolonged performance in autumn sown wheat

This Arable Update illustrates how alternating and mixing Modes of Actions and active ingredients can help sustain disease control, protect yield, and deliver financial returns.

Read more
09 October 2025

Cereals update 232: Managing Septoria: Latest results on triazole performance

This Update outlines the latest results on how Zymoseptoria tritici (Zt), the fungus that causes Septoria tritici blotch (STB), is responding to triazole fungicides in New Zealand wheat crops.

Read more
09 October 2025

Farm-saved seed royalty system

Farmers who save and replant legally protected cereal varieties can voluntarily declare their usage and pay a breeder royalty. The declaration system applies to all farm saved seed barley, and to farmer saved wheat if the resultant wheat crop does not pass through an end-point royalty collection agent. 

Read more
09 October 2025

Crop Action: Issue 18, 2025

Crop Action keeps you up to date with arable crop development and actions right across New Zealand.

Read more
09 October 2025

Maize update 92: Mechanical weeding in maize

Maize is one of the easiest crops to mechanically weed and levels of weed control comparable to herbicides can be achieved. Find out more about the options available and how they work in this maize update.

Read more
09 October 2025

Maize update 91: Management options for specific weeds in maize

Weed related yield losses ranging from 15% to 56% for silage and 15% to 61% for grain have been observed in New Zealand maize systems. In this maize update find out management strategies for a number of common annual and perennial weeds of maize.

Read more
09 October 2025

How to use the soil nitrogen supply calculator - video

Watch here as FAR's Dirk Wallace takes you through step by step how to use FAR's soil nitrogen supply calculator.

Read more
09 October 2025

How to take soil samples - video

FAR's Senior Environment Researcher Dirk Wallace takes you through the steps to taking your own soil samples and sending them off to the lab.

Read more

Ask FAR AI

Ask FAR is a new way to get information from the FAR website. Just ‘Ask FAR’ a question and you’ll get a quick, accurate response based on FAR research and resources. Ask FAR also provides links to the original documents for more information. It’s quick, easy and reliable. Ask FAR now!

Start Chatting
  • Research
  • Levies and Returns
  • Resources
  • Events
  • News
  • Contact Us
  • Schools
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use

©2022 Foundation for Arable Research