Almost every part of the sunflower is used by human being in one way or another; it is the oil that is most valuable.
The main uses of sunflower are as follows:
1. Edible Oil:
Used as cooking oil. Also used as salad oil, salad dressings, vegetable shortenings, margarine. Sunflower seed oil also has several important industrial uses as a drying agent used in paints, resins, plastics, soaps, cosmetics.
2. Animal Feed:
Sunflower is very high in protein and is an important feed ingredient for livestock and poultry, particularly beef cattle and calves.
3. Hull:
A byproduct from processing (particularly confectionary seeds). Hull of sunflower is high-energy content. Generally, ground and pelleted and used as an animal feed ingredient for beef cattle, poultry and dairy cattle. Hull is also used in industrial products like fertiliser, fiberboard. Hulls are used for fuel also.
4. Bird Feed:
Sunflower seeds, particularly the black, oil-type, are also the favourite of most seed-eating birds. A well-known use of sunflower seed in the United States is for bird feed. The high oil content of sunflower seeds provides an excellent source of energy for birds.
5. Functional Food:
Sunflower seeds are used as a functional food (certain food that provides health benefit beyond basic nutrition and reduce the risk of disease or other health concerns are known as functional food). Use of sunflower products is seen a big improvement in the overall nutritional quality of diet.
6. Sunflower Kernels:
Sunflower seed is consumed as a snack food called confectionery sunflower. Kernel is used in a broad array of snack and food product. Hulled sunflower or, kernels are used in a wide variety of food products such as an ingredient in bread or in grail mixes of nuts and dried fruit.
7. Medicinal:
Sunflower seeds have diuretic and expectorant properties and are beneficial in the treatment of bronchial, laryngeal and pulmonary affections. Eating sunflower seeds reduces cavities in teeth, stops pink toothbrush, aids quivering eyes, improves the eye and ameliorates the condition of the skin.
The sunflower removes the unpleasant coating on the tongue, is good for nerves relieves soreness in the muscles, and eliminates that tired feeling.
8. Ornamental Plants:
Sunflower in backyard gardens is grown as ornamental purposes and to attract birds to the garden.
9. Silage:
Sunflowers are used as silage. When sunflower seeds do not have sufficient time to mature or when crops have considerable damage or loss due to insects, diseases, hail storm, frost a sunflower crop is harvested and used as silage.
10. Flowers:
The sunflower is a source of some pigments. Yellow dye is extracted from the ray flowers. Sunflower is a source of nectar and pollen for honey bees and yield useful honey. Beside yielding honey, the bee activity enhances sunflower seed yield through increasing pollination, seed setting, seed weight and oil content.
11. Litter:
Dry stems, leaves and seedless heads are used as litter for laying houses.
12. As Vegetable:
The unexpanded buds boiled and served like Artichokes form a pleasant dish.
13. As Fuel:
Sunflower stalks and empty seed-heads are used as fuel. Ash obtained after burning dry stems is rich in potash, valuable manure.