Sunflower is a crop which, compared to other crops, performs well under drought conditions; this is probably the main reason for the crop's popularity in the marginal areas of South Africa. Over the past two decades, the South African sunflower industry has been characterised by volatile production levels with virtually no real growth while domestic demand for oilcake and vegetable oil has increased by approximately 40%.

Sunflower, despite a well-developed root system, imposes rather high demands on the conditions of mineral nutrition, thats why using fertilizers is very important.