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Sunflower Highlights

Post Date: Jul 13 2020

Crop Progress

Sunflower planting in Kansas is 95% complete; that's equal to the average for this time of year. In Minnesota, 72% of the sunflower crop is rated in good to excellent condition. And in North Dakota, sunflower fields are beginning to bloom; 2% of the state's crop is reported blooming this week.

Crop Progress - Monday, July 13, 2020 State This Week Last Week Last Year 5 Year Average North Dakota         Emerged 94 91 98 --- Blooming 2 --- 5 7 Kansas         Planted 95 93 92 95 Texas         Planted 88 83 88 96 Harvested 10 9 3 ---

Crop Conditions - Monday, July 13, 2020 State Very Poor Poor Fair Good Excellent North Dakota 0 4 37 55 4 Minnesota 3 4 21 67 5 Colorado 4 13 56 27 0

Start scouting for sunflower moth

It’s time to start scouting for banded sunflower moth (BSM) and Arthur sunflower moth (ASM). BSM is a small (1⁄4 inch long), straw yellow moth with a triangular, dark brown band crossing through the middle of the forewing. ASM is similar to BSM in size but, it is a whitish-gray moth with a broken brown and gray band on the forewings. When sampling, use the W pattern and begin counting at least 75 to 100 feet into the field to avoid field margin effects. Count moths on 20 plants at 5 sampling sites to obtain the total number of moths per 100 plants. When scouting during the day (late morning to early afternoon), the moths remain quiet, resting on upper or lower leaves of sunflower plants or other neighboring broadleaf plants like soybeans. Look for the moth fluttering from plant to plant when disturbed. For more information, click here.

Grower report

Lindsborg, Kansas grower Karl Esping says his 400 acres of high oleic sunflowers look good. Double crop sunflowers are emerged and full season sunflower are starting to bloom. Esping says sunflower acres are up significantly in Kansas this year, and there’s still time for producers to plant double crop sunflower in his area.

Markets

The sunflower market in the Dakotas continues to stay on the uptrend as birdfood and crushers compete for remaining old crop seed stocks making sure to cover nearby needs. Birdfood prices at some locations gained an additional $1.75-$2.00 per cwt. in the past two weeks with prices trading at $22.50-$27.00 in North Dakota and upwards of $25.00-$27.00 in South Dakota. Since June 22 at the North Dakota crush plants nearby NuSun prices increased 50 cents with high oleic increasing 50 to 55 cents. Seed prices in the High Plains were unchanged last week. The market is starting to reflect market fundamentals for this time of year. Now that the USDA planted acres report data is factored into the market, buyers will anxiously watch crop production prospects before making longer term purchases. Initial estimates using trend yields peg oil-type sunflower production at 2.12 billion pounds up 12 percent from last year with confection sunflower production at 270 million pounds up 22 percent from 2019. Sunflower trading will be influenced to a greater extent by crop conditions and progress along with weather conditions in the near term. Mid-August through September is the critical time frame for sunflowers. So far this year most sunflower acreage in the Dakotas and Minnesota has been rated in good to excellent condition. The latest USDA supply and demand figures will also guide market direction in the week ahead.