Modern (Morden)
One of the earliest open-pollinated sunflower releases grown in India, from before hybrid seed became the norm — a lower yield ceiling than DRSH 1 or KBSH 44, but the seed can be saved.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Sunflower
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Rabi
- Maturity period
- 85–90 days
- Expected yield
- 12–15 q/ha
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Release
- Introduced from the Morden Research Station, Manitoba, Canada; released for cultivation around 1978 by the AICRP (Sunflower) Centre, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore
About this variety
Modern (also written Morden) traces its name to the Morden Research Station in Manitoba, Canada, a sunflower-breeding hub through the 1960s under director Eric Putt — sometimes called the "grandfather of the sunflower crop" in Canada — which hosted the 2nd International Sunflower Conference in August 1966. The open-pollinated germplasm that took the station's name was introduced to India and released for cultivation around 1978 by the AICRP (Sunflower) Centre at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, as part of the same first wave of foreign open-pollinated sunflower varieties (alongside Soviet-bred lines like Peredovik) that established the crop in India before hybrid seed took over from the 1970s–80s onward.
Key characteristics
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
85–90 days
Expected yield
12–15 q/ha
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Open-pollinated, so farmers can save and re-sow seed year to year — unlike DRSH-1 or KBSH-44, where cross-pollination means saved seed loses hybrid vigour
- A short, 85–90-day duration by this record's own field, close to a separately reported 85–95-day range, useful for tight cropping windows
Things to consider
- A seed-trade variety listing reports oil content of 38–40% and recommends it for Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh, while this record's existing `states` field lists Punjab and Haryana instead — likely because Punjab/Haryana was Modern's original northern-India adoption belt from the 1970s–80s open-pollinated era, while the seed-trade listing reflects where it (or seed sold under its name) is marketed today. Neither figure could be independently corroborated by a second fetched source in this pass, so both are stated here rather than one being treated as authoritative.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Punjab
- Haryana
Frequently asked questions
Why is this variety called "Modern" if it is one of India's oldest sunflower releases?
"Modern" appears to be an Indian rendering of "Morden," the name of the Canadian research station in Manitoba where this open-pollinated germplasm was originally bred — not a claim about the variety being recently developed.
Sourced from: Sunflower magazine — National Sunflower Association (Eric Putt, Morden Research Station history), Top 10 Famous Sunflower Varieties in India — India Inputs. editorial policy.