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.