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Sunflower Highlights

Post Date: Aug 05 2024

Crop Progress - Monday, August 5, 2024 State This Week Last Week Last Year 5 Year Average North Dakota         Blooming 19 8 45 48 South Dakota         Blooming 11 5 34 -- Texas         Harvested 40 32 39 34

Crop Conditions - Monday, August 5, 2024 State Timeframe Very Poor Poor Fair Good Excellent North Dakota This week 0 1 29 67 3   Last week 1 3 35 59 2 Minnesota This week 0 2 27 47 24   Last week 0 1 24 56 19 Colorado This week 8 30 35 25 2   Last week 1 30 49 18 2 South Dakota This week 0 4 22 65 9   Last week 1 4 28 58 9

Keep Scouting for Insects

Red sunflower seed weevil (RSSW) is small (2.5 to 3.1 mm long) with a snout and are reddish orange. Banded sunflower moth (BSM) can be identified by their small size (1/4 inch long) and forewings with a triangular, dark brown band across the middle of the wing. Once the decision to treat has been made, it is critical to time the spray application correctly to get effective management of all sunflower head insects, including RSSW, BSM, sunflower moth and Lygus bug. The best sunflower plant stage to treat is when the majority of plants are in the R5.1 growth stge. Visit www.sunflowernsa.com/growers/Insects/ to read more about scouting for insects and the best treatments. To see the insecticides registered in sunflower, visit www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/extension/publications/north-dakota-field-crop-insect-management-guide

Markets

Old crop prices were unchanged to up 20 cents with new crop unchanged at the crush plants. Traders are continuing to get into position for USDA’s August crop reports. August 12th will be a huge day for commodity markets as USDA will release its latest supply and demand reports. It is also anticipated that the first report of USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) certified acres will be released as well. The FSA figures will be compared to the USDA June acreage report and will give the market a better idea of what got planted this year. The market also continues to watch developments in the Black Sea region. Above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation continue to threaten sunflower production. According to Oil World it is still too early for reliable damage estimates, but losses could be significant. Oil World recently lowered its production estimates for Russia to 17.3 million metric tons (MMT) and Ukraine to 13.6 MMT. This is a significant drop off from last year’s production of 18.4 MMT in Russia and 14.7 in Ukraine. Oil World also lowered production prospects in Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey. Sunflowers are mostly in the late bud stage or blooming in the Dakotas and Minnesota. The crop could use a good drink during this important development phase as some areas of the region have had below normal moisture this growing season. USDA reports and weather conditions will guide traders in the coming weeks.

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