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Sunflower Highlights

Post Date: Aug 05 2019

Crop Progress

Sunflowers are blooming across North Dakota, and 75 percent of the crop there is reported in good to excellent condition. Harvest continues in Texas.

Crop Progress - Monday, August 5, 2019 State This Week Last Week Last Year 5 Year Average North Dakota         Blooming 35 22 77 59 Texas         Harvested NA 27 48 14

Crop Conditions - Monday, August 5, 2019 State Very Poor Poor Fair Good Excellent North Dakota 0 4 21 70 5 Colorado 0 0 23 68 9 Minnesota 0 1 16 69 14

Capistran Family a 2019 “U of M Farm Family”

Former NSA Chairman Kevin Capistran and his family have been named Polk County’s “2019 Farm Family of the Year” by the University of Minnesota. The Capistran family raises wheat, barley and soybeans for foundation, registered or certified seed as well as sunflowers and sugar beets on their farm near Crookston, MN. The seed is all processed on site in the family’s seed plant and then marketed. The Capistrans will be officially recognized with the rest of the families in a ceremony Thursday, August 8 at the annual Farmfest near Redwood Falls, MN. Click here to see profiles of the 2019 honorees and information on the recognition event. Families receiving honors were selected by their local county Extension committees and have demonstrated a commitment to enhancing and supporting agriculture and agriculture production.

Examine Crop for Rust

Rust is most often found on the lower under-side of leaves. The pustules are cinnamon-red and readily recognizable. Yield loss can occur, and control measures should be considered when reaches approximately 1% severity on the upper four leaves and the plant is in the vegetative stages until it reaches the R6 stage. An infestation on the upper leaves at R6 or later will not likely have a negative yield affect. Fortunately, rust can be managed with well-times fungicide applications. Click here to learn more about rust.

USDA Provides Help with Blackbirds

Sunflower are beginning to bloom but it’s never too early to think about blackbird control. As petals begin to drop, blackbirds will soon appear and cause problems. The USDA can help. Five additional specialists have been hired to help North Dakota producers; they will start August 19. Click here for a map with phone numbers for those USDA Wildlife Services personnel that can help North Dakota producers who have blackbird problems. Some other ways to reduce damage include cattail management, cannons, harassment, desiccants and repellants. These tools are even more effective when used together. Click here for more on blackbirds.

Keep Scouting for Insects

As sunflower fields begin to bloom, adults of red sunflower seed weevil (RSSW) will be emerging and will fly to the nearest flowering sunflowers. RSSW are small (2.5 to 3.1 mm long) with a snout and are reddish-orange. Banded sunflower moth can be identified by their small size (1/4- inch-long) and forewings with a triangular, dark brown band across the middle of the wing. Once the decision to treat has been made, it is critical to time the spray application correctly to get effective management of all sunflower head insects including RSSW, BSM, sunflower moth, and Lygus bug. The best sunflower plant stage to treat is when the majority of plants are in the R5.1 growth stage. Click here to read more about scouting for insects and the best treatments. Click here to see the insecticides registered in sunflower.

Upcoming Events

August 8, 2019 NSA High Plains Committee Meeting Goodland, KS   January 8-9, 2020 NSA Research Forum Holiday Inn, Fargo, ND

Markets

Old crop NuSun and high oleic prices backed off slightly after establishing market highs this week at the North Dakota crush plants ending the week down 5 to unchanged. New crop prices for NuSun and high oleic are currently very close to market highs as well.  Nearby birdfood prices have been on the rise in the past two weeks gaining upwards of 50 cents at some locations. Traders are starting to get into position for USDA’s big August 12 crop reports. USDA re-surveyed 14 Midwestern states, including each of the key corn and soybean production states.  The USDA June Acreage report gave traders higher than expected corn acres and lower than expected soybean acres.  Most traders expect the USDA report to have a reduction in corn acres and an increase in soybean acres. Meanwhile on the trade front, talks between the U.S. and China this week fizzled out after the sides traded barbs.The same disagreements remain, with no indication either government is willing to offer major concessions. The heat ratcheted up further after the President announced the U.S. will add 10% tariffs to $300 billion of Chinese imports starting September 1. Rhetoric on both sides has hardened, prompting suggestions U.S. and Chinese leaders are settling in for a long drawn out negotiation timeframe and are no closer to an agreement and, in fact, might be drifting farther apart. Any progress in trade talks and acreage figures will be the key to prices in the weeks ahead.

Weekly Prices Recorded on Monday, August 5, 2019 ($/CWT)   Deliver Last Year Last Week This Week Change 2019 NEW Crop Chicago Oil Nearby 28.29 28.43 27.76 -.67 28.26 Fargo, ND NuSun 17.55 17.90 17.85 -.05 17.10 Fargo, ND High Oleic 17.40 18.25 18.20 -.05 17.15 Enderlin, ND NuSun 17.45 17.85 17.85 NC 17.20 Enderlin, ND High Oleic 17.45 18.15 18.15 NC 17.40 Goodland, KS NuSun 16.35 16.45 16.40 -.05 16.40 Goodland, KS High Oleic 17.35 17.55 17.50 -.05 17.65 Prices recorded here are believed to be reliable at the time of posting. All prices are subject to change. Contact these facilities for complete market details.

U.S. CRUDE OIL VALUES recorded on Monday, August 5, 2109 (dollars per 100 lb. internal U.S. location)   Last Year Last Week This Week Change Soybean Oil 26.54 27.93 27.37 -.26 Cotton Oil (psby) 27.29 37.43 36.76 -.67 Corn Oil 32.00 28.00 28.00 NC