Sunflower Highlights

Post Date: Jan 16 2018

2018 Research Requests Total Over $200,000

The National Sunflower Association received 11 research proposals for 2018, totaling $218,219. 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 40^th annual research forum January 10-11 in Fargo, ND. Researchers from North and South Dakota, Kansas, Colorado, Texas, Nebraska, Iowa, and Canada presented a total of 24 papers and 11 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 on iPad at each of the upcoming ag shows:

No-Till on the Plains, Salina, KS – January 30-31
CCTA Conference, Burlington, CO – February 6-7

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

Despite the drought in the Dakotas last year, sunflower yields in the United States were the third highest on record. The USDA report on 2017 sunflower crop production, released last week, shows the United States average yield per acre of 1,613 pounds, down 118 pounds from 2016. But in North Dakota, where many growers saw severe drought, the average yield declined only 80 pounds from 2016, to 1,636 pounds per acre. South Dakota, the leading sunflower-producing state during 2017, produced 1.04 billion pounds, a decrease of 2 percent from 2016. Compared with 2016, planted area in South Dakota increased 11 percent but yield decreased 208 pounds to 1,750 pounds per acre. United States production of non-oil sunflower varieties was estimated at 312 million pounds, an increase of 10 percent from 2016. Area harvested, at 172,700 acres, was up 6 percent from 2016. The average yield increased by 75 pounds from 2016 to 1,804 pounds per acre. That’s the second highest yield on record for non-oil varieties. Production of oil-type sunflower varieties, at 1.86 billion pounds, decreased 22 percent from 2016. Compared with the previous year, harvested acres were down 14 percent and the average yield decreased by 146 pounds to 1,585 pounds per acre.