Sunflower Industry Pioneer Ralph Taylor Dies

        Another of the U.S. sunflower’s industry pioneers has passed away.  Ralph Taylor, Jr., of Crosslake, Minn., died on October 11.  He was 95 years old.

        Taylor served as president of Dahlgren & Company of Crookston, Minn., for a number of years.  Dahlgren was an early processor of confection sunflower seed and also one of the first companies to begin developing and marketing hybrid sunflower seed in the mid-1970s.

        Taylor served as the first president of the Sunflower Association of America, the trade group predecessor of the National Sunflower Association.  He also was instrumental in organizing the annual Sunflower Research Forum, which continues to the present day.  Taylor was awarded the NSA Gold Award in 1992 for his outstanding contributions to the U.S. sunflower industry.

Corteva Splitting Seed & Crop Protection Units

        Corteva Agriscience has announced it will split its seed and crop protection divisions into two publicly traded companies by the second half of 2026, a move that reshapes one of agriculture’s largest input providers.

        According to Corteva, the seed business that is home to the Pioneer, Brevant and Dairyland brands will spin off into a new entity, referred to as “SpinCo.” SpinCo will emphasize genetics, traits and breeding.  The remaining company, “New Corteva,” will retain the crop protection portfolio, which includes herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, seed treatments and biologicals.

        The separation will allow each business to focus more sharply on strategy, capital allocation and growth opportunities.  Corteva stresses that the split will not change its farmer focus.

Papers & Posters Call: 2026 Research Forum

        The National Sunflower Association is inviting research papers to be presented at the NSA Research Forum, set for January 7-8, 2026, in Fargo, N.D.  Presentations may be either oral or in the form of a poster.  A time will be designated for authors to be with their posters and answer questions.  Each oral presentation will be limited to 15-17 minutes with 2-3 minutes allowed for questions.  Those interested in presenting a paper can visit ‘2026 Call for Papers’ on the NSA website. The actual paper or poster need not be submitted at this time; just the information indicated online and the author information.  Submissions must be completed by December 8, 2025.

Next NDSU ‘Getting It Right’ Webinar Set for January 13

        The next North Dakota State University Extension ‘Getting It Right’ sunflower webinar is scheduled for January 13, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. to noon, CST.  Sponsored by the National Sunflower Association, the webinar is free to all interested persons.  It features presentations by NDSU sunflower crop specialists on a variety of topics pertaining to current research and crop management recommendations.  Among the presenters will be broadleaf pathology specialist Sam Markell, extension entomologist Janet Knodel, extension soil specialist Brady Goettl, extension weed specialist Joe Ikley, extension broadleaf specialist Ana Carcedo and agricultural economist Frayne Olson.  Page Klug of USDA-APHIS-Wildlife Services also will give a presentation on blackbird management research.

        To register, utilize the QR code in the advertisement on page 18 of this issue of The Sunflower.

Colorado No-Till Conference Scheduled for` February 3 & 4

        The Colorado Conservation Tillage Association’s 2026 High Plains No-Till Conference is scheduled for February 3 and 4 in Burlington, Colo.  Along with keynote speakers John Kempf, Erin Martin and Don Day, Jr., more than 45 breakout learning sessions are scheduled on topics covering soil health, no-till, regenerative grazing and farm business management.  For more information on the February event or to register for it, visit www.HighPlainsNoTill.com.  

Story Suggestions Welcome

        With another production season wrapping up, the National Sunflower Association staff looks to the next publishing season of The Sunflower magazine — an industry fixture since 1975. 

        “Our goal with the magazine is to provide news and articles of real interest and use to our readership — which consists mainly of sunflower producers around the U.S. and Canada,” says John Sandbakken, NSA?executive director and magazine editor.  “Our ongoing objective is to provide timely, useful information, and we always welcome readers’ suggestions for potential topics or persons to interview for articles.” 

          Story suggestions can be submitted to johns@sunflowernsa.com.