Sunflower Highlights

Post Date: Mar 11 2018

FMC Introduces Authority®Supreme

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Canadian Pest Management Regulatory Agency have granted registration for Authority® Supreme herbicide in sunflowers for the 2018 growing season. Authority® Supreme is the only premix of sulfentrazone and pyroxasulfone and gives long-lasting residual control of small-seeded broadleaf weeds and grasses. The new herbicide is effective against ALS, triazine, HPPD, ESPS (glyphosate) and PPO herbicide resistant weed biotypes. It controls a wide spectrum of weeds including waterhemp, Palmer amaranth, pigweed, nightshade, lambsquarters, kochia, morningglories, smartweed, foxtail, barnyard grass and fall panicum. The herbicide is labeled for fall and spring preplant and preemergence applications, up to three days after planting. It can be used in Clearfield®, ExpressSun®, conventional, oil and confection sunflowers.

North Dakota County Sunflower Election Results

North Dakota county sunflower representatives were elected in two of the state’s seven sunflower districts last month. All county reps are now eligible for the district election and to serve on the NSA’s Board of Directors for a three-year term. District sunflower elections will be held in Districts 4 and 5 this month. Here is the information for the upcoming elections:

District 5 election will be held Thursday, March 22 at the Main Street Diner in Fessenden at 11:00 AM.

Wells County – Stan Buxa
Rolette County – Nathan Neameyer
Sheridan – Myron Dieterle (current district representative)

District 4 election will be held Monday, March 26 at the Steele Vets Club in Steele at 1:00 PM.

Burleigh County – Clark Coleman (current district representative)
Logan County – Jody Horner
Emmons County – Preston Leier
McIntosh – Allan Rohrich

Markets

2018 new crop prices for oil sunflower continue to move higher adding another 5 to 10 cents per hundredweight last week. Some locations have seen an increase of up to 60 cents in the past two weeks. New crop prices are in a range of $17.35-$18.40 for NuSun with High Oleics at $17.85-$18.60 at the crush plants. Crush plants are offering cash and Act of God (AOG) contracts for fall delivery. Old crop prices were also up 5 to 30 cents last week. USDA released its latest Supply & Demand report last Thursday. Traders considered the report bearish for soybean with the US ending stocks coming in at 555 million bushels versus the average estimate of 529 million and compared to 530 million bushels last month. The USDA cut exports by 35 million bushels in this report and have slashed exports by 185 million bushels over the last four reports. Traders remain concerned over the potential for soybeans to be singled out for retaliation by China over new tariffs on steel and aluminum authorized by President Trump. China imports about 33% of the US soybean production each year. Some traders feel the large U.S. soybean supply, slower demand, and US farmers adding soybean acres in 2018 could pressure new crop soybean prices. This week reaction to potential US steel and aluminum tariffs by affected countries and South American weather will be the main market movers.