Sunflower Highlights

Post Date: Apr 28 2025

N Calculator available for North Dakota producers

With fertilizer prices at the highest levels in the past several years and producers looking to control costs, check out the North Dakota Nitrogen Calculator for sunflower. You can find the calculator at https://www.ndsu.edu/pubweb/soils/FourCropsNitrogenCalculatorWebApp/ The calculator uses new nitrogen recommendations, which were updated for the first time since the 1970s. There are also new recommendations for phosphorus (P) for sunflower in the northern Great Plains. The new N and P recommendations are based on general productivity history and not a yield prediction model. N and P recommendations are based on both documented yield responses to each and economic analysis. The NDSU Fertilizing Sunflower Circular SF713 with the new recommendations can be found online at www.sunflowernsa.com/uploads/3/Fertilizing.Sunflower.NDSU.SF713_Feb.2016.pdf

Reminder about stored seed

Producers who have stored seed are reminded to keep a close eye on their seed to keep it in good condition. As outdoor temperatures increase, stored grain requires attention to prevent losses. The stored grain temperature increases in the spring not only due to an increase in outdoor temperatures but also due to solar heat gain on the bin. Solar energy produces more than twice as much heat gain on the south wall of a bin in early spring as it does during the summer. The moisture content of the seed can also become a concern as temperatures increase. It is a good idea to have bins probed and tested regularly to protect your investment.

Markets

Prices were mixed this week at the crush plants. Nearby prices were unchanged to up 50 cents with new crop down 50 cents to unchanged. Commodity futures have climbed in recent sessions behind signs of easing trade tensions between the U.S. and China. The previous U.S.-China trade war during President Trump’s first term hit U.S. soybeans particularly hard, with China cutting purchases sharply and shifting to Brazil as its primary source. Traders are hopeful recent news that the U.S. is willing to negotiate with China could lead to a resolution to the current trade confrontation. In addition, a weakening U.S. dollar is giving further support to commodity prices. The U.S. currency is hovering near its lowest level against a basket of global currencies in the past three years. A weak greenback makes U.S. goods traded in dollars more attractive to overseas buyers. Markets have been volatile for most export dependent crops with the latest twists and turns in our fast shifting trade policy. There is still time to adjust plans to take advantage of the market opportunities that sunflowers can offer. The sunflower market is mainly centered on the U.S. market. It has not faced the same market pressure and offers the opportunity to diversify market risk in these turbulent times.

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