CLSU International Journal

of Science and Technology

www.clsu-ijst.org
ISSN 2507 -9638 (online)
The CLSU International Journal of Science and Technology was previously published as CLSU Scientific Journal since 1965.

APPLICATION OF DRIP IRRIGATION

TECHNOLOGY FOR SUNFLOWER (Helianthus annus
L.) PRODUCTION
Curls Vincent F. Aganon1, Marvin M. Cinense1, Gloria N. Ramos1, and Roldan T.
Quitos2
1
Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Central Luzon State University
2
Crop and Resources Research and Development Center, Central Luzon State University

Email for correspondence: rtquitos@clsu.edu.ph

Submitted: June 30, 2023. Accepted: TBA. Published Online: TBA

Abstract
Proper irrigation is simple applying the appropriate amount of water at the correct time (Ranjan,
2020). In recent years, drip irrigation technology has been developed to reduce the water that was being
wasted from conventional way of irrigating crops (furrow irrigation). This study was conducted to
evaluate the effects of drip irrigation technology with the integration of plastic mulch for sunflower
production. The study utilized a CRD with two (2) irrigation treatments.
In drip irrigation with plastic mulch, plant height (104.19 cm), number of leaves (29.23), head
weight (117.31 g), head diameter (17.44 g), and total crop yield (26.39 kg) were found to be higher
compared to conventional with mulch, drip irrigation without mulch, and conventional without mulch
plant height (103.77, 98.93, and 89.79 cm), number of leaves (29.07, 28.29, 27.20), head weight (100.83,
87.45, and 75.96), crop yield (92.13 g and 91.72), and total crop yield (22.69, 19.68, and 17.09),
respectively. In terms of water productivity and consumption, it was determined that drip irrigation with
plastic mulch has the highest WP and low WC (0.7 kg/m3 and 40.03 m3) compared to drip irrigation
without plastic mulch (0.4 kg/m3 and 56.64 m3), and conventional with plastic mulch (0.3 kg/m3 and 71.93
m3), and conventional without plastic mulch (0.2 kg/m 3 and 94.97 m3). The study revealed that using the
drip irrigation system with plastic mulch was cost viable for farmers, and implementing drip irrigation
with the integration of with plastic mulch could lead to cost reductions and more efficient resource
allocation on farms, resulting in increased profits.

Keywords: drip irrigation system; furrow irrigation; water productivity; cost viable

Introduction
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is a
member of the family Asteraceae that include daisies
and chamomile. It is locally known as “Mirasol”. The
varieties mostly used in the country are the orange
sunflower with black center and red sunflower. In the
year 2022, the total world production of sunflower
seeds accounted for 56,072,746 MT. Largest
producers of sunflower include Russian Federation,
Ukraine, Argentina, and United States of America
where Russian Federation and Ukraine accounted for
about 50% of world’s total sunflower production
(Atlas, 2022).
In the Philippines, sunflowers are introduced
by Central Luzon State University (CLSU) who is a
leading institution that works on sunflower research
and one of the pioneers who spearheaded the research
and development of production and management
practices of growing sunflowers. In fact, it was
recently becoming very popular especially on social
media due to its magnificent scenery that is pleasing
to the eye. In 2019, due to the burgeoning of
sunflower research activities it eventually scored a
breakthrough in sunflower research and development.
Beyond the aesthetic sceneries that sunflower
gardens provide lies the true economic values of

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sunflowers. High quality edible oil can be extracted
from sunflowers that contain linoleic acid known as
Omega-6 fatty that is essential for a healthy diet.
Reviews also revealed that sunflowers are also a good
source of biomass for the production of biodiesel and
fiber for paper production. Sunflower meal can be
processed into flour or a major source of protein in
preparation of feed in livestock and poultry and the
leaves can be used as forage for animals. The seeds
can be processed into snack food and by-products can
be used to make organic fertilizer.
An effective irrigation system will evenly
distribute water to the soil and keep it moist enough
for plant growth and harvesting without wasting
water, eroding the soil, or affecting the water quality.
Areas with limited water resources should strongly
consider water management. Crop yield and
production are greatly affected by water application.
A loss in agricultural yield and quality may result
from improper practice. It does not only provide a
response to the question of when to irrigate, but also
provides an estimate of the amount of water that
should be applied to maximize crop potential (Martin,
2016).
Drip irrigation technology offers a precise
control that growers would need to meet the market
Materials and Methods
Selection of Plant Materials
CL-SF1 sunflower seeds from URC-CLSU was used
in this study. Figure 2 shows the CLSU sunflower
CL-SF1 variety.
Figure 2. Plant material. CL-SF1
Sunflower Cultural Management
All cultural practices that are guided and
recommended by region using the Central Luzon
State University (CLSU) sunflower production are
followed to reach the optimum quality of the crop
(CLSU 2004). Sunflower crops were grown during
the production season of December-May.
Land Preparation and Planting
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requirement and it has the potential to increase yield
and ensure the quality of sunflower plants,
specifically the seeds. Drip irrigation in sunflower
farming has also been found to substantially increase
plant height, stem diameter, head diameter, leaves
weight per plant, head weight per plant, seeds weight
per head, seed yield, and seed oil. Advance technique
and technology would help to achieve optimum crop
productivity. Irrigation management plan is also
highly required for improving the water use efficiency
and optimum performance of the sunflower (Ranjan et
al., 2020).
Figure 1. Location of the study
(Source:Google Earth)
The experimental plot was plowed and harrowed
using a rotavator attached to a four-wheel tractor to
obtained a good tilt. Plots were prepared with a size of
6 m x 1 m and a distance of 0.5 between plots. Direct
seeding was used in the study. Each hole was sowed
with 2-3 sunflower seeds and was thinned to one plant
afterwards. An initial irrigation was done after the
seed sowing. The distance will be 12 inches per crop.
Weed Control
Thinning and grass removal was done daily to remove
unnecessary plants to make room for the growth of
sunflowers using rot-ridger depending on the height of
the weeds.
Installation of Plastic Mulch
Polyethylene plastic mulch was installed in each hill
and was covered by soil at the edge of mulch to avoid
removal from attachment. Improvised empty sardines
was utilized in making holes in the mulch with a
distance of 12 in.
Fertilizer Application
Fertilizer application was done during the first and
second irrigation. Recommended rate of fertilizer
composed of 120-60-30 was applied on both
conventional and drip irrigation systems.
Pest Management
2
Appropriate control measures were used to manage FC
insect and pest manifestations. Application of d= × As×D
100
pesticide was only done once there is a sign of pest
(1)
infestation on the plant.
where:
d = Depth of water to be applied, mm
Harvesting, Drying, and Threshing
FC = Field capacity, %
Harvesting was done when the sunflowers receptacle
As = Apparent specific gravity of the soil, 1.52
head turned into brownish-yellow or when the flower
D = depth of soil root zone of sunflower, mm
reached its post-harvest maturity. It was done by
cutting the sunflower head using sharp pruning shear.
Volume of water to be applied will be computed using
The heads afterwards were sundried for 2-3 days
before threshing. Threshing was done by rubbing the
heads with an improvised tool.
Va = A×da
(2)
where:
Data to be Gathered Va = Volume of water applied per plot, mm
The study was focused on sub-treatments which are A = area irrigated, m^2
the effects of with mulch and without mulch in the da = depth of water applied per plot, mm
production of sunflower for both drip irrigation and
conventional practice. Some of the growth and yield
parameters to be measured and recorded are the 50% Total Allowable Water
following: The total allowable water in the soil was measured
using the parameters include field capacity, wilting
point, and root zone depth of sunflower. The field
Plant Height and Number of Leaves capacity of each soil sample was computed using,
Plant height and number of leaves was measured
weekly starting from the day after planting until FC= [ ( FW-OD ) /OD ] ×100
approximately one week before the harvest on both (3)
conventional and drip irrigation systems. Number of where:
leaves were manually counted and measured and FC = Field capacity of the soil, %
recorded weekly. FW = Fresh weight of the soil, g
OD = Oven dried weight of the soil, g

Sunflower Head Diameter and Head Weight
Sunflower head diameter and head weight were
measured right after the harvesting using a tape
measure for the head diameter and digital weighing
scale for head weight on both conventional and drip
irrigation systems
Crop Yield
Crop yield was determined after the harvest of
sunflower on both conventional and drip irrigation
systems. Average yield per hectare was calculated by
multiplying the average yield per square meter by (4)
conversion factor.
Irrigation Data
The permanent wilting point is 16%.
Water Productivity
The water productivity was computed based on the
crop yield in kilogram after harvesting over the
amount of water supplied in cubic meter for the whole
production for both drip irrigation system and
conventional.
Sunflower fresh wieght
Water Productivity=
W used
where:
SFW= sunflower fresh weight, kg
3
W used =irrigation water used, m

Depth and Volume of Water to be Applied Water saving

The depth of water to be applied was calculated and The water saving is the comparison of both drip
was based on the root zone depth of the sunflower. irrigation system and conventional based on how
The volume of water to be applied was monitored much water supplied on sunflower for the whole
with the help of a flow meter sensor. Flow meter was production.
installed to monitor the water supply in the crops.
Depth of water to be applied was computed using
( Wf - Wd )
WATER SAVING= ×100
Wf
(5)

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where:
WS(%) = water Saving (%) Fixed Cost
Wf = total water used in conventional method of FC=D+IOI (6)
irrigation (kg/m³)
Wd = total water used in drip irrigation method Interest on Investment
(kg/m³) IOI = IR x [(Initial Cost + Salvage Value)] / 2 (7)

Variable Cost
Experimental Design VC = R&M + S + L + W + F + I/H
This study tested the efficiency and performance of (8)
the drip irrigation technology in sunflower production
by comparing the plant height, number of leaves, head Total Cost
weight, head diameter, and crop yield in all possible TC = FC + VC
pair treatment. A completely randomized design was (9)
used in the study. Analysis of Variance and Tukey’s
Post Hoc Test was applied in all parameters in Production Cost
identifying the significance of differences in each PC = TC / C (10)
treatment with 0.05 and 0.01 probability levels.
Annual Net Income
ANI = TC - R (11)
Cost of Production
A Cost of Production was performed on the Payback Period
Drip Irrigation System's materials, labor, utilities, and PP = IC / ANI (12)
other variables.

Results and Discussion

Total Available Water
The total amount of soil water that is available to plants
is known as total available water (TAW), and it was
calculated as the difference between the soil water
content at Field Capacity (FC) and Permanent Wilting
Point (PWP). According to Datta et al (2018), The
computed field capacity was 28% and the permanent
wilting point was 16%.
Plant Height
The plant height of sunflower at ninth (9 th) week is
shown in Table 1. Sunflower which were irrigated at T4
has the highest height with a mean of 104.19 cm, while
those treatments that were irrigated by the T2, T3, and
T1 had an average height of 103.77, 98.93, and 89.79
cm, respectively.
Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) revealed that there is a
significant difference among the plant height at nine
weeks at 1% level of significance. Tukey’s Post Hoc
Test showed that at ninth (9th) week, T4 and T2 had the
similar highest significantly average plant height. On
the other hand, T1 has the smallest plant height.
Table 1. Mean comparison of sunflower plant height
(cm) at ninth (9th) week using CRD at 1% level of
significance.
TREATMENT MEAN
Conventional Without Mulch 89.79c
Conventional With Mulch 103.77a
Drip Without Mulch 98.93b
Drip With Mulch 104.19a
Note: Means with the same letter are not significantly
different from each other (P<0.05 and P<0.01ANOVA
followed by Tukey’s Post Hoc Test).
Number of Leaves
The average number of leaves of sunflower at ninth
(9th) week were presented in the Table 2. Number of
leaves of sunflower which were irrigated by T4
exhibited the highest mean total of 29.23, followed by
T2 and T3 with 29.07 and 28.29 mean, respectively,
while the T1 demonstrated the lowest mean total of
27.20.
Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) revealed that there is
a significant difference among the number of leaves at
nine weeks at 1% level of significance. Tukey’s Post
Hoc Test showed that at ninth (9 th) week, T4 and T2
have the highest significantly average number of
leaves. Meanwhile, T3 and T1 are not significantly
different.
Table 2. Mean comparison of sunflower number of
leaves at ninth (9th) week using CRD at 1% level of
significance.
TREATMENT MEAN
Conventional Without Mulch 27.20b
Conventional With Mulch 29.07a
Drip Without Mulch 28.29ab
Drip With Mulch 29.23a
Note: Means with the same letter are not significantly
different from each other (P<0.05 and P<0.01ANOVA
followed by Tukey’s Post Hoc Test).
Sunflower Head Weight

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The average head weight of sunflower in different Crop Yield
treatments were shown in Table 3. Results showed The average harvested sunflower in all treatments
T4 had the highest average giving a mean value of were shown in Table 5. The data showed that
117.31 g/plot. This was followed by those that were sunflower which were irrigated using T4 gained the
irrigated by T2, T3, and T1 with a mean value of highest yield with a mean of 82.11g. This was
100.83, 87.45, and 75.96 g/plot, respectively. followed by those that were irrigated under T2, T3,
Based on the article review of Tyagi et al. (2021), and T1 with a means of 70.58, 61.21, and 53.17 g,
reported that maximum fruit weight was seen under respectively. Likewise, same result was found on the
the treatment of drip irrigation with mulch. study conducted by Mirzabe et al. (2016) that number
Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) revealed that there is of seed per head was observed highest in treatment
a significant difference among the crop yield at 1% where mulch was utilized.
level of significance. Tukey’s Post Hoc Test showed Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) revealed that there is
that T4 and T1 had significantly different crop yield. a significant difference among the crop yield at 1%
However, the test also shows that T4, T2, T3 had the level of significance. Tukey’s Post Hoc Test showed
same head weight as well as T1, T2, and T3 when that T4 and T1 had significantly different crop yield.
compared. However, the test also shows that T4, T3, T2 had the
same crop yield as well as T1, T2, and T3 when
Table 3. Mean comparison of sunflower head weight compared.
using CRD at 1% level of significance.
TREATMENT MEAN Table 5. Mean comparison of sunflower crop yield
Conventional Without Mulch 75.96b using CRD at 1% level of significance.
TREATMENT MEAN
Conventional With Mulch 100.83ab
Conventional Without Mulch 53.17b
Drip Without Mulch 87.45ab
Conventional With Mulch 70.58ab
Drip With Mulch 117.31a
Drip Without Mulch 61.21ab
Note: Means with the same letter are not significantly
different from each other (P<0.05 and P<0.01ANOVA Drip With Mulch 82.11a
followed by Tukey’s Post Hoc Test). Note: Means with the same letter are not significantly
different from each other (P<0.05 and P<0.01ANOVA
Sunflower Head Diameter followed by Tukey’s Post Hoc Test.).
Table 4 shows the average head diameter of sunflower
in different irrigation treatments. The data showed that
sunflower head diameter that were irrigated under T4
had the longest head diameter with a mean of 17.44
cm. This was followed by those that were irrigated
under T2, T3, and T1 with means of 16.74, 13.94, and
13.48 cm, respectively. Similar result was found on
the study of Mirzabe et al. (2018), that the diameter of
sunflower’s head was recorded largest on treatment
with mulch compared to non-mulch treatment.
Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) revealed that there is
a significant difference among the sunflower diameter
at 1% level of significance. Tukey’s Post Hoc Test
showed that T4 and T2 has the highest significant
Figure 3. Behavior of soil moisture in conventional
sunflower diameter. Meanwhile, T1 and T3 produced
without mulch.
also the significant lowest sunflower diameter among
the planting methods.

Table 4. Mean comparison of sunflower head

diameter using CRD at 1% level of significance.
TREATMENT MEAN
Conventional Without Mulch 13.15b
Conventional With Mulch 16.74a
Drip Without Mulch 13.94b
Drip With Mulch 17.44a
Note: Means with the same letter are not significantly
different from each other (P<0.05 and P<0.01ANOVA
followed by Tukey’s Post Hoc Test).

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Figure 4. Behavior of soil moisture in conventional followed by the treatment under T3, T2, and T1 with
with mulch. a value of 0.4 kg/m³, 0.3 kg/m³, and 0.2 kg/m³,
respectively.

Table 7. Water productivity in each treatment.

WATER
TREATMENT PRODUCTIVITY
(kg/m³)
CWM 0.2
CWOM 0.3
DWOM 0.4
DWM 0.7

Water Saving

Figure 5. Behavior of soil moisture in drip without Table 8. Water saving in all irrigation treatment.
mulch. TREAMENT WATER SAVING
(%)
CWOM vs CWM 24.26
CWOM vs DWOM 40.36
CWOM vs DWM 57.85
CWM vs DWOM 21.26
CWM vs DWM 44.55
DWOM vs DWM 29.33

Cost of Production
Potential Income
The potential income of the production cycle for
sunflower was shown in Table 13, which projects the
average yield upon harvesting. Sunflower (CL-SF 1)
Figure 6. Behavior of soil moisture in drip with grown for a period of 90 days. It was observed that
mulch. each plant exhibit an average weight gain of 160
grams, resulting in a cumulative weight of 86.49
Water Productivity kilogram. The harvested crops were then sold at a
Using the flow meter sensor attached on the system, the rate of Php250.00 per kg, thereby generating a gross
water consumption was determined in each treatment. income of Php21,622.5 per growing season and
Based on the numerical data gathered, the treatment Php43,245.00 annually.
under T4 had the lesser water consumption and less
irrigation frequency. The table below shows the total Table 9. Potential income of sunflower (CLSF-1).
water consumption in each treatment from the start of Crop grown: Sunflower
planting of sunflower seed until approximately one Variety: CLSF-1
week before harvesting of sunflower.
Growing periods: One (1)
Table 6. Total water consumption and yield in each Potential production:
treatment. Total area: 14 m x 30 m
TOTAL SUNFLOW
Number of plant: 540
WATER ER
TREATMENT Maturity: 90 days
CONSUMPTI YIELD, kg
ON (m³) Average yield per head: 160 grams
CWM 94.97 16.92
CWOM 71.93 23.52 Total yield 86.49 kg
DWOM 56.64 19.66 Unit price of seed per kg: Php250.00
DWM 40.03 26.39 Potential gross income per Php21,622.5
season:
Based on data collected and showed on the above Potential gross income per Php43,245.0
table, the treatment which was irrigated under T4 had year: 0
the highest water productivity among the four (4)
treatments with a value of 0.7 kg/m³. This was
Table 14. Total fixed cost, total variable cost, and
total cost of operation of the system.

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 PER PER 5. Fungicide 995.00 1990.00
ITEMS SEASON, YEAR, 6. Insecticide 349.00 698.00
Php Php 7. Electricity 934.23 1868.46
A. Fixed Cost, P Sub-total 16,080.17 32,161.33
1. Average interest 426.86 853.71 C. Total Costs, P 17,244.32 34,489.63
in investment
(AII) A cost-benefit analysis was used to evaluate the
2. Depreciation 1,164.15 2,328.30 economic viability of the drip irrigation system. The cost
Sub-total 1,591.01 3,182.01 involved in building the system including labor,
B. Variable Cost, P materials, utilities, repairs, as well as variable costs such
1. Repair and 323.38 646.75 as seed, fertilizer, and other expenses. The fixed costs
Maintenance and variable costs for the analysis of the system were
(R&M) determined. The investment cost was calculated as the
2. Seeds 250.00 500.00 total of the sorter’s component costs. Fixed costs were
3. Labor 12,800.00 25,600.00 expenses that were not affected by the volume, including
4. Fertilizer 428.56 857.12 depreciation, interest on investment, and utility bills.

Conclusion
The study aimed to determine the
effectivity of the application of drip irrigation
system for sunflower production. Based on the
results of the study, the following conclusions were
drawn: the installed drip irrigation system in the
production was found more efficient than other
treatment when it comes on growth and yield
parameters and water productivity; the performance
evaluation of the drip system was proved the
effectivity of the system and had the positive effect
on the sunflower growth and yield, it was showed
that the sunflowers on drip irrigation with mulch
has the greatest yield compare to other treatments;
this study showed that the drip irrigation with
mulch reduced the stress in sunflower resulting in
greater yield while using less water, since mulch
can retain soil moisture that result in decreased
irrigation frequency, thus greater yield with less
water results in high water productivity; and the
installed drip irrigation system in the study was
found viable and profitable for farmers, increasing
the competitiveness and sustainability of sunflower
production in CLSU and outside the university.

Acknowledgements
The author’s immeasurable and deepest appreciation are warmly extended to the following people who
contributed in their humble ways, to the success of this study and helped in making this piece of work into
reality: respectively, Engr. Rolda T. Quitos, Dr. Marvin M. Cinense and Engr. Gloria N. Ramos, Chair of the
Advisor Committee and Members of the Advisory Committee, for the guidance, suggestions, supervision,
advice, support, and recommendations throughout the study and making the study worthwhile.
The author's family and friend for advice and support, above all, to the Almighty God, for His
unconditional love and countless blessing towards him for completing the study, giving the author the strength,
wisdom, and helping hand to guide him all throughout the conduct of the study.

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