Sunflower Highlights

Post Date: May 02 2016

Reducing Blackbird Damage

A good strategy to reducing blackbird damage is to plant as early as possible and desiccate the crop. In many cases producers have been able to get the crop all harvested before the birds even move in. The earliest planting date for Minnesota was April 21. In North Dakota, it is May 6 for most counties north of Hwy 200 and May 11 in the remaining counties based on USDA RMA earliest planting dates. Why take a chance when it comes to blackbirds when you can have a good sunflower crop? Maximize your return by planting early and get it harvested as soon as possible.

New Field Guide Now Available

Compendium of Sunflower Diseases and Pests is an all-new disease and insect compendium that will serve as a vital field guide wherever sunflowers are grown. It includes nearly 300 images and research-based management recommendations, allowing users to scout, identify, and manage a range of diseases and insect pests. NSA has worked with the publisher, The American Phytopathological Society, to secure an exclusive $30 pre-order discount for all NSA members. The book will ship in June 2016, but be sure to pre-order by May 31, to take advantage of this special offer. Use this link to order your copy.

Sunflower Planting Pointers

With sunflower planting just around the corner, paying attention to planter calibration and planter speed can go a long way to achieving a successful, uniform sunflower stand. Check out the top ten sunflower planting pointers here.

Registration is open for the 34th Annual Summer Seminar scheduled for June 28-30 at the Ramada Hotel in Bismarck, ND. Register here. A block of rooms has been reserved at the Ramada for June 28-29 under the “National Sunflower Association.” To reserve a room, call 1-800-554-7077. The program is being finalized and more information will be coming soon. Check our website for updates. See you in Bismarck!

Pest Management App Available

Tired of carrying around those thick pest management guides? Download the NDSU Pest Management app -- it includes everything that is printed in pest management guides, plus more. For example, the app has full color photos of weeds, insects, and diseases. The app is available for both Apple and Android devices – just search NDSU Pest Management. The app is free, thanks to funding from several commodity groups, including the National Sunflower Association. Producers who use the app are encouraged to send comments and feedback to ndsu.pest.management@ndsu.edu.

NSA on Social Media

Stay up to date on what’s happening at the NSA and share your photos with us via social media. Find us on Facebook and on Twitter.

Reminder About Stored Seed

Producers who have stored seed are reminded to keep a close watch on seed moisture. It’s a good idea to have bins probed and tested regularly to protect your investment.

Upcoming Events

May 29-June 3, 2016: 19th Annual International Sunflower Conference, Edirne, Turkey
June 28-30, 2016: 2016 NSA Summer Seminar, Bismarck, ND

Markets

Markets are being helped to some extent by a sagging US dollar as it hit a 9-month low last week. A lower dollar makes US exports more competitive on the world market. The slide in the dollar and rally in broad-based commodities has partly contributed to the oilseed rally this month. There’s still a lot of talk about the final size of the Argentine soybean crop. Various estimates have South American soybean production anywhere from 1 million tons lower to 10 million tons lower. Such a backdrop is giving CBoT traders concerns about the ability of South American exports to deliver what they were expecting. Weather conditions have improved in Argentina; however, we will have to wait to see how the previous rain events effect crop quality. Traders are also keeping an eye on updates for Midwest summer forecasts. Sunflower prices are bucking the trend of lower oil values on the CBoT and holding their own. Oil has been pressured by weak palm oil prices and a rally in meal. New crop sunflower prices are very competitive with other crops and processors are still offering 2016 new crop cash and Act of God (AOG) contracts for fall delivery.

Weekly Prices Recorded on Monday, May 2, 2016 ($/CWT)

	Deliver	Last Year	Last Week	This Week	Change	2016 NEW Crop
Chicago Oil	Nearby	32.47	33.90	32.19	-1.71	33.17
Fargo, ND	NuSun	21.00	16.25	16.25	NC	17.10
Enderlin, ND	NuSun	20.80	16.55	16.45	-.10	17.10
Goodland, KS	NuSun	19.40	16.35	16.35	NC	16.55
Goodland, KS	High Oleic	22.40	17.35	17.35	NC	18.30

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, May 2, 2016
(dollars per 100 lb. internal U.S. location)

	Last Year	Last Week	This Week	Change
Soybean Oil	31.97	31.65	29.94	-1.71
Cotton Oil (psby)	50.47	48.90	47.19	-1.71
Corn Oil	40.50	45.50	45.50	NC