KBSH 44
A UAS Bengaluru hybrid recommended for all sunflower-growing states. It gives 36–38% oil and can be sown in kharif or rabi.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Sunflower
- Type
- Hybrid
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- Kharif 90–95 days, rabi 95–100 days
- Seed rate
- Hybrid seed: 5 kg/ha rainfed, 4 kg/ha irrigated (Tamil Nadu guide; no separate rate is published for this hybrid)
- Expected yield
- 15–18 q/ha average, 22–28 q/ha potential
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- Moderate necrosis virus tolerance
- Release
- Released 2002 by the AICRP (Sunflower) centre, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru. Notified as 100(E) on 28 January 2003 for all sunflower-growing states.
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
KBSH-44 is a single-cross sunflower hybrid (CMS-17A × RHA-95C-1) from the AICRP (Sunflower) centre at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru. It was released in 2002 and notified on 28 January 2003 for all sunflower-growing states. ICAR-IIOR gives an average seed yield of 15–18 q/ha and a potential of 22–28 q/ha, with 36–38% oil. It flowers in 60–65 days in kharif and 64–66 days in rabi, and matures in 90–95 days in kharif and 95–100 days in rabi. The plant stands 165–175 cm tall with a 19–21 cm head. UAS Bengaluru licensed it to Mahyco for seed production in 2018, which is one reason the seed is still easy to find.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose KBSH-44 if you want a hybrid with an official recommendation for all sunflower-growing states that you can sow in either kharif or rabi, a wider reach than KBSH-53 (Karnataka only) or LSFH-171 (eight states). It is the middle choice rather than the best at anything: its yield sits above DRSH-1 (12–15 q/ha), but it is no better than LSFH-171 rainfed (18–19 q/ha) and below KBSH-53 irrigated (22 q/ha), and its oil is below both DRSH-1 (40–44%) and KBSH-53 (40–42%). If your buyer pays by oil percentage, take one of those two. If you want the earliest crop, Morden matures in 80–82 days in kharif, but it gives only 6–8 q/ha. Buy fresh seed every season, because saved seed will not hold the hybrid's yield.
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeIn Tamil Nadu, irrigated hybrids are sown June–July, October–November, December–January and April–May. Other states follow their own kharif and rabi dates
- Seed rateHybrid seed: 5 kg/ha rainfed, 4 kg/ha irrigated (Tamil Nadu guide; no separate rate is published for this hybrid)
- Spacing60 cm between rows, 30 cm between plants
- Sowing methodPut 2 seeds per hole at 3 cm depth along the furrow, then thin to one healthy seedling on day 10
- IrrigationIrrigate before sowing, then a life irrigation, then on day 20, at early bud, twice at flowering and twice during seed filling. Flowering is the critical stage
- FertilizerIrrigated hybrid: 60:90:60 kg N:P2O5:K2O per hectare. Rainfed hybrid: 40:50:40. Add 12.5 t/ha FYM before the last ploughing
Pest & disease considerations
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Official all-India recommendation, with both a kharif and a rabi maturity figure published by ICAR-IIOR.
- Part of UAS Bengaluru's KBSH series (KBSH-1 in 1992 up to KBSH-78 in 2018), so its breeding line is well documented.
- Still licensed for commercial seed production (Mahyco, 2018), so seed is easy to find.
Things to consider
- Oil content (36–38%) is lower than KBSH-53 (40–42%) and DRSH-1 (40–44%). If your mill pays by oil percentage, compare before you choose.
- The 22–28 q/ha figure is potential, not the average. IIOR's average is 15–18 q/ha, so budget on that.
- In one field-screening trial it served as the susceptible check for sunflower necrosis disease, with about 14% of plants affected. Treat its tolerance as moderate, not strong.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Karnataka
- Maharashtra
- Tamil Nadu
Count the days from your sowing date
IIOR gives KBSH-44 two sets of numbers. In kharif it flowers in 60–65 days and matures in 90–95 days. In rabi it flowers in 64–66 days and matures in 95–100 days.
Work it out from your own date. Sown on 1 July, flowering falls between 30 August and 4 September, and harvest between 29 September and 4 October. Sown on 15 November, flowering falls between 18 and 20 January, and harvest between 18 and 23 February.
Flowering is when the crop needs water most. If your sowing date puts flowering in a dry spell, move the sowing or book the irrigation before you sow, not after.
Where the planting material comes from
This is a hybrid, so seed kept from your own harvest will not breed true. The next crop comes up uneven in height, maturity and yield. Buy fresh certified seed every season and keep the bag tag until harvest.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Sunflower variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Maturity | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DRSH 1 | The highest-oil hybrid here, for rabi–summer sowing where a mill pays for oil | Kharif 95–98 days, rabi 100–105 days | 12–15 q/ha average, 20–25 q/ha potential | Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra |
| KBSH 44this page | A mid-duration hybrid with an all-India recommendation and a long track record | Kharif 90–95 days, rabi 95–100 days | 15–18 q/ha average, 22–28 q/ha potential | Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu |
| KBSH-53 | A high-oil hybrid for irrigated Karnataka fields | 95–100 days (kharif and rabi) | Average 10 q/ha rainfed and 22 q/ha irrigated; potential 20 q/ha rainfed and 27 q/ha irrigated | Karnataka |
| LSFH-171 | The best rainfed average of the five, recommended for eight states | Kharif 90–95 days, rabi 95–100 days | 18–19 q/ha average rainfed, 20–24 q/ha potential irrigated | Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha |
| Modern (Morden) | A short, early, seed-saving sunflower for tight windows and low-cost farming | Kharif 80–82 days, rabi 85–88 days | 6–8 q/ha average, 12–15 q/ha potential | Karnataka |
Tools for this crop
The numbers you need next: how much seed to buy, whether the lot germinates, what the fertilizer bill looks like and what Sunflower is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Sunflower plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Germination CalculatorTest 100 seeds from the bag before sowing and see whether the lot is fit to sow.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Sunflower variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Sunflower into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Sunflower in your state.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Sunflower rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Sunflower seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
Is KBSH-44 from UAS Dharwad or UAS Bangalore?
UAS Bangalore's GKVK campus. The IIOR datasheet lists the AICRP (Sunflower) centre of the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru as the developer, and the whole KBSH series comes from the same centre.
How does KBSH-44 compare with KBSH-53 and DRSH-1 on oil content?
ICAR-IIOR lists KBSH-44 at 36–38% oil, KBSH-53 at 40–42%, DRSH-1 at 40–44% and LSFH-171 at 34–35%. So KBSH-44 sits in the middle. Oil percentage matters only if your mill pays on it. If it pays on weight alone, seed yield counts more.
Can I sow KBSH-44 in both kharif and rabi?
Yes. IIOR publishes maturity for both: 90–95 days in kharif and 95–100 days in rabi, with flowering at 60–65 and 64–66 days. TNAU also lists KBSH 44 among the irrigated hybrids for Tamil Nadu's June–July, October–November, December–January and April–May sowings.
What seed rate and spacing should I use for KBSH-44?
IIOR does not publish a separate rate for it. The TNAU guide for hybrids gives 5 kg/ha rainfed and 4 kg/ha irrigated, at 60 × 30 cm. Sow 2 seeds per hole and thin to one seedling on day 10.
Should I expect 22–28 q/ha from KBSH-44?
No. That is the potential under best management. IIOR's average is 15–18 q/ha. Work out your income on 15 q/ha and treat anything above it as a bonus.
How serious is sunflower necrosis disease for KBSH-44?
The disease is caused by tobacco streak virus, which thrips carry from plant to plant. A seed study found the virus was not seed-borne in KBSH-44. In a separate field-screening trial it was the susceptible check, with about 14% of plants affected. So keep weeds down, watch for thrips and do not count on strong resistance.
Sourced from: All India Coordinated Research Project on Sunflower, GKVK, Bangalore — UAS Bangalore, KBSH-44 — ICAR-Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research variety datasheet, Sunflower — Crop Production Guide, TNAU Agritech Portal (Tamil Nadu). editorial policy.