Climatch
For growers

Where can I grow sunflower?

Helianthus annuus · Oilseed · Annual

Sunflower is a great fit (80+) on 104.0 million km² (40.2 million sq mi) of land in 229 countries, 37% of it only with irrigation. The most well-suited land is in Pará, Brazil, Minas Gerais, Brazil and Amazonas, Brazil. Where it can't grow, it's usually growing season too cool (92%) and nights too cold in the growing season (7%).

Crop fit≤5075100Uncolored land: won't grow

Tap the map for the score at any spot. Each square is a 28 km (17 mile) grid cell.

Great fit (80+)
104.0M km²(40.2M sq mi)
72% of land
Worth a try (50–79)
8.7M km²(3.4M sq mi)
6% of land
Great fit without irrigation
64.2M km²(24.8M sq mi)
Rain alone is enough
Countries
229
With great-fit land

Regions with the most suitable land

  1. 1

    🇧🇷Pará, Brazil

    Great fit on 637k km² (246k sq mi)

    For example Belém (100), Ananindeua (100)

  2. 2

    🇧🇷Minas Gerais, Brazil

    Great fit on 564k km² (218k sq mi)

    For example Belo Horizonte (100), Uberlândia (100)

  3. 3

    🇧🇷Amazonas, Brazil

    Great fit on 564k km² (218k sq mi)

    For example Manaus (100), Itacoatiara (100)

  4. 4

    🇺🇸Texas, United States

    Great fit on 520k km² (201k sq mi)

    For example Houston (100), San Antonio (100)

  5. 5

    🇨🇳Xinjiang, China

    Great fit on 455k km² (176k sq mi) · worth a try on 28k km² (11k sq mi) · mostly with irrigation

    For example Ürümqi (100), Shihezi (100)

  6. 6

    🇨🇳Heilongjiang, China

    Great fit on 360k km² (139k sq mi) · worth a try on 26k km² (10,000 sq mi)

    For example Harbin (100), Daqing (100)

  7. 7

    🇮🇳Madhya Pradesh, India

    Great fit on 316k km² (122k sq mi)

    For example Indore (100), Bhopal (100)

  8. 8

    🇮🇳Maharashtra, India

    Great fit on 313k km² (121k sq mi)

    For example Mumbai (100), Pune (100)

  9. 9

    🇨🇳Yunnan, China

    Great fit on 312k km² (120k sq mi) · worth a try on 16k km² (6,400 sq mi)

    For example Kunming (100), Qujing (100)

  10. 10

    🇮🇳Rajasthan, India

    Great fit on 311k km² (120k sq mi)

    For example Jaipur (100), Kota (100)

  11. 11

    🇺🇸California, United States

    Great fit on 310k km² (120k sq mi) · worth a try on 27k km² (10k sq mi) · mostly with irrigation

    For example Redding (100), Paradise (100)

  12. 12

    🇦🇷Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Great fit on 305k km² (118k sq mi)

    For example Mar del Plata (100), Avellaneda (100)

  13. 13

    🇪🇹Oromiya, Ethiopia

    Great fit on 279k km² (108k sq mi) · worth a try on 6,900 km² (2,700 sq mi)

    For example Nazrēt (100), Jimma (100)

  14. 14

    🇵🇰Balochistan, Pakistan

    Great fit on 260k km² (101k sq mi) · mostly with irrigation

    For example Quetta (100), Khuzdar (100)

  15. 15

    🇨🇦Ontario, Canada

    Great fit on 234k km² (90k sq mi) · worth a try on 45k km² (17k sq mi)

    For example Toronto (100), Ottawa (100)

Regions are states and provinces, counting land within 75 km of a town. At most three per country, so the list covers the world.

By country

  • 🇧🇷Brazil6.0M km² (2.3M sq mi) · 100% of its land
  • 🇺🇸United States5.1M km² (2.0M sq mi) · 93% of its land
  • 🇨🇳China4.8M km² (1.9M sq mi) · 86% of its land
  • 🇮🇳India3.1M km² (1.2M sq mi) · 97% of its land
  • 🇷🇺Russia2.2M km² (854k sq mi) · 44% of its land
  • 🇲🇽Mexico1.6M km² (613k sq mi) · 99% of its land
  • 🇮🇩Indonesia1.5M km² (567k sq mi) · 94% of its land
  • 🇮🇷Iran1.4M km² (539k sq mi) · 100% of its land
  • 🇦🇷Argentina1.4M km² (537k sq mi) · 88% of its land
  • 🇨🇩Democratic Republic of the Congo1.1M km² (434k sq mi) · 100% of its land

Best-suited towns

  1. 100%fit

    Huế

    🇻🇳 Thừa Thiên Huế Province, Vietnam

  2. 100%fit

    Panjin

    🇨🇳 Liaoning, China

  3. 100%fit

    Hanzhong

    🇨🇳 Shaanxi, China

  4. 100%fit

    Kahama

    🇹🇿 Shinyanga, Tanzania

  5. 100%fit

    Liaozhong

    🇨🇳 Liaoning, China

  6. 100%fit

    Campina Grande

    🇧🇷 Paraíba, Brazil

  7. 100%fit

    Columbus

    🇺🇸 Ohio, United States

  8. 100%fit

    Kampala

    🇺🇬 Central Region, Uganda

  9. 100%fit

    Geita

    🇹🇿 Tanzania

  10. 100%fit

    Mingguang

    🇨🇳 Anhui, China

  11. 100%fit

    Bunamwaya

    🇺🇬 Central Region, Uganda

  12. 100%fit

    Xinyi

    🇨🇳 Jiangsu, China

The most comfortable fits among the 2,000 biggest towns, two per region.

What sunflower needs

Growing-season average
Ideal 64–82°F (18–28°C)Won't grow below 54°F (12°C) or above 93°F (34°C)
Coldest growing-season night (monthly average)
Ideal at least 43°F (6°C)Won't grow below 32°F (0°C)
Growing-season rain
Ideal 12–28 in (300–700 mm)Won't grow below 5.9 in (150 mm) or above 47 in (1,200 mm)

Deep roots make it fairly drought tolerant.

Sources: FAO ECOCROP: Helianthus annuus; FAO Crop Water Information: sunflower. Ranges not yet reviewed by an agronomist.

What stops it elsewhere

  • Growing season too cool92%
  • Nights too cold in the growing season7%

Share of the land scoring under 50, by what holds it back most.

How this map works

Every 28 km square of land is scored 0–100 against the requirements above, using 1991–2020 monthly climate averages with frost, chill and heat estimated by simulating daily weather. Each square is scored with whichever variety fits it best. “With irrigation” ignores rain shortfalls; “Rain-fed only” counts them.

Climate is only part of it: soil, slope, water and markets decide where a crop is actually farmed. Use this to shortlist places, then check them locally.

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