Under spring season conditions with variable resources, hybrid sunflower cultivars consistently outperform composite cultivars in key agronomic traits. Hybrids exhibit superior seed yield, oil content, drought tolerance, and disease resistance due to their genetic uniformity and heterosis (hybrid vigour). They respond better to optimised inputs like irrigation and fertilisation, making them ideal for high-resource environments. In contrast, composite cultivars, while more genetically diverse and adaptable to low-input or marginal conditions, tend to show lower and more variable yields. Thus, hybrids are generally the preferred choice for maximising productivity and profitability under spring cultivation, especially when resource availability is favourable.

Composite vs hybrid sunflower cultivars under spring conditions typically show a trade-off. Hybrids often deliver higher and more stable yields and better uniformity under high-resource inputs and optimal management, while composites can be more resilient and cost-effective under low-input or variable-resource conditions because of broader genetic diversity and lower seed costs; agronomic performance therefore depends on seed cost, sowing date, plant density, nutrient and water availability, and pest pressure, so choice should match farm resource levels and risk tolerance.