Scientists explain why sunflowers look east
Sunflowers watch the rising sun as the morning heat attracts bees to pollinate the flowers and helps the plants reproduce effectively. This conclusion was made by scientists at the University of California as a result of observations of sunflowers, reported in the journal New Phytologist.
While the sunflowers are growing, they turn flowers during the day as the sun moves. As the baskets mature, the stems of the sunflowers become tough. The movement becomes less active and stops when all the heads are turned towards the morning sun.
For the experiment, scientists turned the pots of plants to change their orientation. The researchers noticed that the flowers facing east attracted large numbers of bees, especially in the morning.
Sunflowers at dawn were warmer than those facing west. Study author Stacey Harmer believes that the heat from the plants brings extra energy to the bees and that the sun illuminates the ultraviolet spots on the petals that are visible to bees pollinating flowers in the morning.
In addition, orienting to the east warms the basket faster and affects flower development. These plants were more likely to produce larger, heavier seeds.
Scientists of the Southern Federal University have developed a technology for creating a biosorbent from sunflower husks. This substance is capable of removing oil, fuel oil and oil from the water surface.
