Sunflower Highlights

Post Date: Jan 16 2017

2017 Research Requests Total over $331,000

The National Sunflower Association received 14 research proposals for 2017, totaling $331,239. The NSA Research Committee met last week to review proposals and make recommendations for the NSA Board of Directors. The NSA board will make final decisions on funding during their annual spring meeting in late February. Proposed projects include studies of insects, disease, and production.

NSA Research Forum Attracts Large Crowd

Nearly 125 growers, industry representatives, and researchers attended the National Sunflower Association’s 39^th Annual Research Forum January 11-12 in Fargo, ND. Researchers from North and South Dakota, Kansas, Colorado, Texas, Nebraska, Iowa, and Canada presented a total of 19 papers and 10 posters. Attendees heard presentations on weeds, insects, disease, and new varieties of sunflower. All presentations will be uploaded to the NSA website in the next few weeks.

Win an iPad!

The NSA’s High Plains committee will be giving away one iPad at each of these upcoming ag shows:

Cover Your Acres, Oberlin, Kansas – January 17-18
No-Till on the Plains, Salina, Kansas – January 24-25
Young Farmers and Ranchers Conference, Manhattan, Kansas – January 28-29
CCTA Conference, Burlington, Colorado – January 31-February 1

For a chance to win, producers must stop by the NSA High Plains booth and register. Winners will be publicized after the shows.

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Markets

USDA gave their final estimate of 2016 sunflower production last week. Total production was 2.65 billion pounds, down 9 percent from 2015 but up 8 percent from the October forecast. US average yield per acre increased 106 pounds from last year to a record high 1,731 pounds. Planted area, at 1.60 million acres, is 14 percent below last year. Area harvested decreased 15 percent from last year to 1.53 million acres. North Dakota led sunflower production at 1.14 billion pounds, an increase of 7 percent from last year. Compared with last year, planted area in North Dakota decreased 4 percent but yield increased 192 pounds to a record high 1,715 pounds per acre. Meanwhile, production in South Dakota decreased 14 percent due to a lower harvested area. However, the average yield in South Dakota increased 100 pounds from 2015 to a record high 1,958 pounds per acre. US production of oil-type sunflower varieties, at 2.37 billion pounds, decreased less than 1 percent from 2015. Harvested acres were down 9 percent from 2015 but the average yield increased by 152 pounds to a record high 1,731 pounds per acre. Production of non-oil sunflower varieties was estimated at 286 million pounds, a decrease of 47 percent from last year. Area harvested, at 165,500 acres, is down 43 percent from 2015. The average yield decreased by 139 pounds from last year’s record high to 1,726 pounds per acre. This still represents the second highest yield on record for non-oil varieties.