Among the many sunflower hybrids that farmers sow in Ukrainian fields, there are some that have become ‘favourites’ — proven, reliable, and high-yielding. One such variety was the classic Arcona hybrid. It was sown for many seasons, especially in the central and western regions of Ukraine, where it consistently demonstrated high results — a yield potential of up to 6 t/ha and good resistance to common diseases.
However, farmers’ demands are growing: they are increasingly facing problems with weeds, especially dicotyledonous weeds, which are difficult to control using traditional methods. Therefore, modern breeding is moving towards adapting hybrids to innovative protection technologies. Thus, a new valuable trait has been added to the classic Arcona — resistance to sulfonylurea herbicides. And now it is available to farmers in a new version — Arcona Sumo, a hybrid developed using Express® (Sumo) technology.
Arcona Sumo is the same high-yielding, reliable hybrid, but with enhanced weed control capabilities. It was created through traditional breeding without the use of GMOs, by crossing with donor forms that are resistant to the active ingredient tribenuron-methyl (Sum, Express herbicides, etc.). This gives farmers even more control over weeds without harming the plant.
Advantages of Sumo technology supported by the Arcona Sumo hybrid:
- effective destruction of a wide range of dicotyledonous weeds, including problematic species (thistle, ragweed, bittercress, pigweed);
- flexible herbicide application timing — from 2 to 8 leaves per crop, allowing for better treatment planning;
- safety for crops when application rates are followed;
- reduced competition from weeds during critical phases of sunflower development, which has a positive effect on yield;
- the possibility of reducing the number of mechanical treatments and thus preserving the soil structure;
- no restrictions on the choice of crops in subsequent crop rotations (tribenuron methyl has no residual effect).
Importantly, even after adaptation to Sumo technology, the Arcona hybrid has not lost its main agronomic advantages: it remains medium-early, has high resistance to phomopsis, phomopsis, 5 races of broomrape, good initial growth energy and plasticity to growing conditions. Arcona Sumo sunflower is resistant to all races of downy mildew. Arcona Sumo performs equally well on different soil types and is suitable for intensive cultivation, including the application of micronutrients and growth stimulants.
Farmers who have already tried Arcona in its classic version can confidently switch to Arcona Sumo, retaining their favourite genetics but gaining a more modern tool for increasing production efficiency. This is especially true in fields with perennial dicotyledonous weeds or where soil herbicides have not worked. Arcona Sumo is the choice for those who want stability, yield and technological advantage in the field.