Sunflower products used in Animal feeding

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Description of the crop

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is an oilseed crop native to North America and grown around the world. There are two types of sunflower seed:

• The oilseed sunflower which is high in oil content (40-45%) and is mostly used in the production of sunflower oil. It has a black seed with a thin hull stuck tightly to the kernel and is difficult to remove.

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• The Non - oilseed sunflower which is low in oil content (25%) and used primarily in the confectionery industry and bird food market. It has a thick striped hull that is not held tightly to the kernel and is easier to remove.

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Animal feed obtainable from sunflower

• Sunflower seed meal which is obtained through solvent extraction.
• Sunflower cake which is obtained through mechanical extraction.
• Sunflower forage and crop residues.

Sunflower seed meal and Sunflower cake

These two products are one of the major protein meals used for livestock feeding (particularly for ruminants). It is generally a valuable and safe product whose prorein, fibre and oil content are highly variable due to the difference in the oil extraction process.
Unlike other oilseed meals, an interesting trait of sunflower seed meal and cake is the absence of intrinsic anti-nutritional factors usually found in plant proteins, hence, it does not require heating or special attention before use.
Its amino acid profile is richer in sulfur-containing Amino acids, particularly methionine, than other protein sources, but it's lysine content is much lower than that of soybean meal. Sunflower meal/cake is considered to be lysine-deficient for several monogastric animals but is considered a valuable source of calcium, phosphorous and B-Complex vitamins.
The high fibre and lignin content of sunflower meal tends to reduce nutrient digestibility and it's energy values are lower than those of soybean meal. This makes it only suitable for ruminants and rabbits, and also for pigs and poultry with low energy requirements (animals at maintenance, laying hens) or specific fibre requirements (sows). In other monogastric such as boilers or growing pigs, the cost effectiveness of including sunflower meal, depends on the quality of the meal and on the availability and price of better sources of protein.

Sunflower forage and Crop residues

Sunflower is primarily an oil crop, but the plant itself and crop residues (head and leftover stalks) are popular roughage for livestock and have been used for this purpose since the early 20th century.
*Sunflower forage (fresh or ensiled) is generally richer in protein than maize silage. Sunflower silage also contain much more fat than maize silage, alfalfa haulage or other common forage crops, depending on the variety and stage of maturity. Due to their high seed content, sunflower silage made from mature plants tend to be higher in fat than silage made from immature ones, which contain less seeds. After the flowering stage, the protein content decreases and lignin content increases.

• Sunflower crop residues i.e sunflower stalks, head (without seeds), mixtures of stalk and heads, are generally low in protein and fibrous materials, with a highly variable composition due to differences in maturity and in the proportions of residues.

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