Sunflower Seed Yield Estimates per mesozone

The dataset shows sunflower seed yield estimates allocated to mesozones. Yield estimates were derived from Schulze R.E. and Maharaj M. (2007) and then allocated to mesozones by combining with a base mesozone layer obtained from the CSIR Geospatial Analysis Platform (GAP). The map shows that the majority of production areas of sunflower seed in the Free State and North West should, according to Smith's (1994;1998) climatic criteria, yield 1.0-1.5 t/ha annually. The map furthermore shows that there are patches in Mpumalanga, Swaziland, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape where in excess of 3 t/ha could, climatically, be achieved. Using Smith's (1994; 1998) climatic criteria, yields of sunflower seed are estimated using the effective rainfall for October to March and heat units (base 10°C) for the same period, with modifications to yields made for soil properties and levels of management.